#not to mention someone so like powerful like dolph

[quixtrix]

dolph being asian means sm to me actually, im not south asian like he is but its still :]. you rarely ever see a brown queer asian lead like dolph if ever so its like teeheeeeeeee

[djsherriff-responses]

I have a crack/serious theory that dolph is the son of Rex "Power" Colt and Elizabeth Veronica Darling from Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Both characters are similar to the people who are 'supposedly' dolph's real biological parents in the first episode, see the similarities?

And in the episode where dolph is fighting a fucking army his eyes glow a pinkish purple color in both his robot and human eyes? In the lore blood dragons are the titular hostile creatures in far cry 3: blood dragon, existing only on the nameless island on which the game takes place, blood dragons are believed to be "Living fossils from the early cretaceous period", according to Dr. Elizabeth darling.

The blood of the dragons also possess radiologically-enhancing properties. Colonel Ike sloan's cybernetics were supercharged by drinking their blood. However, pure dragon blood is unpredictable and can have adverse effects, such as those suffered by Dr. Carlyle, who gained increased mental capacity to "hyper-genius levels," but later experienced rapid muscle deterioration and worse, his genitals dropped off his body.

At the end of the game, elizabeth veronica is seen hugging rex, but she opens her eyes, revealing them to be the same color as the dragon's blood.

In trials of the blood dragon it is revealed that she is a blood dragon herself, but in human form. This explains why she hates sloan (the previous villain of the game) for using the blood dragons for harvesting their blood, as well as her glowing purple eyes seen at the end of the game. She reveals to her husband and children that she had left them in order to help her race. However, when she learned of Rex's "death", she took the guise of General Ryback, and secretly manipulated her children into helping her free her species (blood dragons, or dragornians), destroy the CIA, and lay the groundwork for a full-scale blood dragon invasion of the world under the pretense that they are saving the world. She confesses her love for her husband and children, but then gives them an ultimatum: join her cause or die.

In the secret ending rex refuses to help his wife allow her and the blood dragons to take over the world, and defiantly pulls a gun on her, proclaiming his allegiance to his country. Likewise, Dr. Darling pulls out a gun on her husband, but so do their children, with both Roxanne and Slayter each pointing a gun at their parents. Both parents then pull out a second gun on their children while still pointing their first guns at each other, leading to a mexican standoff in the family.

Both roxanne and slayter are confirmed to be half dragornians and have strong and powerful abilities, maybe dolph, the third child is a half dragornian himself?

Hell maybe the woman in dolph's flashbacks could be rex's younger sister or rex's cousin and she never told dolph about the truth.

Wow this is a really well thought out and put together theory

The only issue is that the manga shows Dolph's mother as an Indian woman, basically confirming the propaganda documentary Eden made to be lies and I honestly doubt that Adi is gonna make a plot twist out of her , especially with the likelihood that season two will be as short as the first season and everything else that's been set up

As much as I would like more kick ass women in this series, revealing Dolph's mother to be a completely different character than what we're told (twice even) would make the spin off manga pointless and even more conflicting with the timeline

Saying that though, we don't yet know who Dolph's father is

And in both show and manga , it's not that subtle that Eden is doing some Eugenics in their system, with Dolph being a prime example of that. The art book even mentions that "Dolph was marked "genetically fit for augmentation"-", meaning that Eden is looking through it's citizens very DNA for it's super soldiers

And someone with dragon blood in them would be valuable, yeah?

Also worth pointing out that in some concept designs, they considered giving Dolph white hair, something that Roxanne and Slayter both have

If season two did explore Dolph's family tree , I think it'd be more likely the show would focus on Dolph's father with his mother being (unfortunately common for her archetype) a foot note. Going with what you brought up ,Dolph's father could be Rex but I'm gonna lean towards Slayter for the fact Slayter actually has dragon blood in him, Rex could still be involved as a a grandfather though

I'm also gonna bet if Rex is related to Dolph (as either father or grandfather) or at least plays a role in season two, he probably knew Sam Fisher. Idk why I just think it'd be fitting and an organic lead way to Dolph talking about and/or meeting his father('s side of the family) with how the last episode ended

[sonicasura]

What are Solo's ( Hero) thoughts about Psaro and Trainer after they stop Dolph from razing Solo's village too the ground?

Nobody expected someone to stop Dolph's attack nor rat him out as the liar he is. Trainer has been to Solo's village before the attack and thought about visiting the place again since Psaro wasn't at Rosehill Tower. You can bet they didn't appreciate someone trying to frame their friend for a crime he didn't commit nor attack those who couldn't fight back.

If Trainer uses Mega Evolution off the bat outside of sparring or during a tough fun battle then it's obvious they are pissed. Anyway Solo has heard about them from his fellow villagers. That they're a nice and helpful youth, nothing about being a wrangler to very strange monsters.

Or for this child to be the one the Zenith Dragon told him about. Solo however understood the sacred dragon's concern upon the fierce power their Mega Blaziken displayed. Demon-at-Arms are powerful monsters so for them to be treated like flies is no mere feat.

Psaro, Duffer, and Eilleen weren't expecting it either. Trainer never mentioned this before plus Dolph was one of the most powerful warriors throughout Nadiria. Witnessing the oldest prince losing in a one sided battle and being forced to retreat is insane. Psaro definitely gonna ask Trainer about this back at Rosehill Tower because again what the fuck.

Solo however... He doesn't know what to say. The Chosen can't bring himself to see Trainer as an enemy especially since they saved his village. Not even when they align themselves with Psaro.

All Solo can hope for is that the youth keeps the cambion prince in check.

[starbeambully]

Some thoughts about Fallout Dolph

Okay okay Dolph comes from a Vault. He has no idea what anyone is talking about when they mention BoS, NCR, The Legion, or any of the gangs. Like there are giant ants trying to kill him and he wanders into some town in hopes of just getting some water and everyone in the town keeps asking him to help them run out the Powder Gang. So he asks who they are and everyone keeps bringing up other people like he should already know about all the power struggles going on.

Dolph gets really good at pretending he has any idea about what's going on, and usually people will pay him to get involved in a shoot out, or steal something from someone. So that's pretty cool.

[aion-rsa]

MCU Phase 4 and 5: What the Multiverse Means for the Future of Marvel Movies and TV

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains Loki spoilers and potential spoilers for the wider MCU.

The ending of the Loki season finale made one pretty substantial change to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The introduction of a full multiverse, caused by Sylvie killing He Who Remains, is an enormous shift in the cosmogony of the MCU. And it opens up some fascinating story possibilities for Marvel’s film heroes. So what does the introduction of a full, unlimited multiverse mean for the future of the MCU?

Hopefully, everything. Literally.

There are obvious near-term implications to Loki’s finale. It answered questions that Spider-Man: No Way Home (with its purported multiversal Sinister Six) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness asked back when Loki first premiered. Specifically: “What do you mean there’s only one universe?” 

The beauty of time travel is that now, there is and has always been a full multiverse in the context of the MCU. Because whatever Kang War happened far in Loki’s subjective past (because the timelines were left to run wild when Sophie killed He Who Remains), the entire history of the MCU is now potentially subject to retcons as necessary. So the strong implication from Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse that that movie and all its various spider-people existed on Earths parallel to Tom Holland’s MCU can now be considered accurate, even though the movie came out years before Loki was even a twinkle in Kevin Feige’s master MCU spreadsheet. 

Time travel is a trip, man. It’s also beautiful. Literally anything is possible now. 

What Does the MCU Multiverse Mean for Marvel TV?

This sort of thing happens all the time in comics. The slang is “retcon,” comics-speak for retroactive continuity, where creators reach into their characters’ pasts to change something that impacts their present. 

Loki’s infinite multiverse sets up the entirety of Marvel history for any number of retcons that the folks in charge might deem necessary. It allows current MCU casts and crews to cherry pick what they liked from old MCU projects and fold them into this new normal. All those times Agents of SHIELD didn’t quite line up with what the movies were doing? The show was on an alternate Earth! Want Ghost Rider back without the TV baggage? Blame it on a Kang!

And grabbing the stuff that worked from old projects means porting in the good actors, too. That means people like J.K. Simmons, the Platonic ideal of J. Jonah Jameson, can continue playing the role across from three different Spider-Men, or Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio can show up as Daredevil and Kingpin in Spider-Man: No Way Home while Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings nukes Netflix’s Iron Fist continuity from orbit.   Wondering how Ms. Marvel could potentially deal with concepts from the Inhumans without ever mentioning that disastrous TV show? Now we know. 

Could the MCU Multiverse Retcon Marvel Movies?

This same ability to pick and choose the continuity most appropriate for the story applies to decisions the movies made, too. A full multiverse lets future filmmakers bring back Chris Evans as Captain America or Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow (OK…maybe not ScarJo) without burdening the MCU with yet another time paradox. As far as we’re concerned, pre-Marvel Studios curiosities like all those crazy old live action Marvel TV shows or Howard the Duck or Dolph Lundgren’s take on The Punisher are now officially canon somewhere within the multiverse.  

Phil Coulson could show up in Phase 6 leading a Squadron Supreme (just like in the comics), out for vengeance against the Avengers because they let his Earth 20085 brother die. Hell, if they really wanted to get dirty, Nick Fury could hire Deadpool to kill Coulson in retaliation, like in the comics. Wait, that was Secret Empire,wasn’t it? Never mind, don’t do that. 

Anyway, you get the idea.

The possibilities are as infinite as the imaginations of the writers, limited only by Kevin Feige’s patience/sense of humor. Don’t expect anything too crazy: the time travel solution in Avengers: Endgame was wild, but before Loki, that was far and away the most ridiculous comic book science the MCU had trafficked in. Typical MCU adaptations include much more modest nods to comics’ wackier elements – Eternals pending – like secret societies that had taken over SHIELD or Kurt Russell being Chris Pratt’s dad. So that ultra-maxi series that starts out a movie, moves into a TV show, has a comic tie in that directly crosses over with the show, and wraps up in Avengers 6 that we’re all hoping will come to pass is probably not on the horizon.

The Crisis on Infinite Earths Problem

An infinite multiverse doesn’t just mean possibility. It has a trap built in, too. The biggest multiverse story of all time, probably the one that set the template for future interactions with the concept, was DC Comics’ Crisis on Infinite Earths. That book set the standard for multiversal destruction, collapsing DC’s infinite comics timelines down to one single Earth and one single timeline. Gone were the separate Earths for the modern Justice League and the World War II Justice Society, replaced by one, unified timeline. And while the comic itself was a masterpiece, miraculously balanced by Marv Wolfman and beautifully drawn by George Perez; what it wrought on the DCU was 30 years of explainers why the Green Lantern of World War II still looked 35, or why Batman has only been operating for five years but went through six Robins in that time.  

The cautionary tale here is one of inward looking stories versus expansionary choices. Post-Crisis DC retcons were about fixing problems the writers and editors perceived with the new timeline, and not about telling the best story they could with the characters and continuity they had. This is an easy trap for a new, expanded (but not all the way expanded) MCU to fall into. There are key pieces of the comics that haven’t been ported to the films yet. 

The Fantastic Four

The temptation is likely huge to use this new, beautiful, infinite multiverse to introduce the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to the MCU. That’s probably half of a good idea.

The cosmogony of the multiverse is ingrained in who the Fantastic Four are. Their story begins as explorers of the unknown – Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm are bombarded with cosmic radiation after an unauthorized space launch. That origin is very of the time when they were created, and would probably hit different now when the only unauthorized space launches are led by giant assholes. So why not take a page from the end of Secret Wars and have them get their powers exploring the new multiverse? It makes so much sense to do it that way that one is almost suspicious of this entire retcon. But that doesn’t make it any less cool.

The X-Men in the MCU

While introducing the Fantastic Four to the MCU by saying they’ve been off exploring the multiverse would make a certain elegant sense, if Marvel tried to introduce the X-Men that way, it would be hugely problematic. 

The core concept of the X-Men is the mutant metaphor, the idea that mutants are hated and feared because of who they are. On a completely superficial level, this is nonsense: what’s the difference between Cyclops’ eye blasts and Captain Marvel zapping Kree ships with fist beams? Why are mutants singled out for scorn and bigotry when someone like Doctor Strange has MUCH more terrifying abilities?

The difference is the idea that mutants are humanity’s destiny. There’s no concern that the majority baseline human population is going to someday be replaced by handsome super-soldiers or radioactive Catholic lawyers. But that genetic distinction – the idea that Magneto and Apocalypse and Pixie and Skids all share a distinct identity, while Captain America and Daredevil and Dr. Druid and Tigra do not – creates tension that allows real world out groups to superimpose their struggles onto X-Men comics and makes them infinitely relatable.

As superficially attractive as the idea of plopping the mutants on their own parallel Earth might be (and trust me, this definitely seems like the simplest justification for keeping Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool in the MCU while jettisoning anything else that is less appealing for audiences or studio execs), putting the mutants on their own separate Earth strips that struggle from the story and makes them just another cape crew.

Worse, using the multiverse as justification that suddenly mutants are here because they came from a parallel timeline disrespects the marginalized people who identify with the X-Men who, like left-handed people, have been here the whole time. Whether society noticed or not.

The Sony Spider-Man Problem

What keeps me up at night about the new Marvel multiverse is the Spider-Man family. The Marvel/Sony relationship has always been…complicated. 

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While the new multiverse provides creators with endless storytelling opportunities that could expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it also sets up an easy out for the studios to separate the Spider-Man movies from the rest of the MCU. Cleaving off the Spider-family movies wouldn’t be great – I don’t need to be reminded of complicated business deals while I’m at the movies. Dedicating all of a future Spidey movie to explaining why Pete isn’t in the master MCU and can’t talk about Iron Man anymore would almost certainly be a nightmare.

But these inward-looking continuity fixes are the types of stories that Marvel, on page and on screen, has generally avoided (before you jump in the comments to shout “CLONE SAGA” please take into account how much work “generally” is doing in this sentence) with its big multiverse stories. Hopefully they’ll keep making those wise decisions going forward.

The post MCU Phase 4 and 5: What the Multiverse Means for the Future of Marvel Movies and TV appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2Vqw7iX

[whatshername-please]

Out of the Water - Chapter IV

Synopsis: You were very proud to be a mermaid, thank you very much. You didn't want to be where the people were. Actually, you'd rather avoid it. Defending the merfolk was the biggest goal in your life... well, it was until you meet a certain pirate... it seems that your family really had a thing for humans, after all. Not that you'd ever admit it...

Pairing: Harry x reader

Warnings: none? Possibly grammar mistakes?

Part 4 of ?

Word Count: 2975

A/N: English isn't my first language, so I'll probably mess up some tenses, grammar and stuff. Go easy on me, please. Feedback is always appreciated

_________________________________________

You weren't an expert, but you had already seen that tree twenty minutes ago, and that rock, and that berry bush. Either Dude had no idea where he was leading the group or Ben was moving around really fast. Maybe, you should go after Fairy Godmother's wand instead, it was the most powerful magical object in Auradon, after all. If it had turned a pumpkin into a golden carriage, it would help an angst teenager to overcome her evil phase.

Gil stopped to eat some berries, and he was completelty mesmerized by them. The blonde boy even suggested that you played the icebreaker, praising Jay right after. The compliment took Jafar's son by surprise but he went on with it, and, in a matter of instants, he and Gil started chatting like childhood friends. Someone didn't seem very thrilled with the boys new found connection, though. Harry, whose attitude showed that he couldn't bare being left out, didn't waste time on making a scoff comment about the conversation.

As for you, it was gold to see the Harry's expression when Jay and Gil kept talking like they didn't hear the pirate's bitter words.

"They completely ignored you" you glanced over him just to see his smirk fading away from his face and turning into a scowl. Harry Hook didn't like to be overlooked, you could tell for sure, and you'd take advantage of that to bother him a little.

He deserved it, anyway.

"They are not even paying attention to you, how sad" you added, just to push his buttons a bit further.

It worked, he glared at you in such a way that made you glad that looks couldn't kill, otherwise you would have burst into flames. You took no notice of him, evil faces didn't scare you.

Hary catched a berry with his hook and ate it in a very dramatic way, drawing all attention to him. That guy was all about aesthetic, wasn't he?

"PS, your mutt went that way" he told Carlos and it was only then that everybody noticed that Dude wasn't around anymore. The boys followed to where Harry had motioned, leaving you and Jay, who grabbed a few more berries, behind.

"Look at you, all sociable and making friends" you teased him.

"Weren't you talking to Harry like, a second minute ago?" he threw your little chitchat with the pirate right in your face.

"I only want to get to know Uma's friends" you defended yourself, shrugging your shoulders.

"Why?" he questioned, intrigued by your answer.

Damn, you forgot you weren't supposed to know Uma at all.

"Well... you said it yourself and I quote, 'I have this thing about protecting every mermaid of the world', so if Mal keeps her promise and really let the VKs off the Isle, it means Uma will be staying in Auradon, and she is the daughter of Ursula, therefore, she is part of the merpeople who are under the protection of Atlantica and..."

"Okay, okay! I get it" he put his hand over your mouth, knowing very well that when you started talking about this subject, nothing could stop you.

In other situation that, wouldn't have stopped you to adduce your speech about the Isle and the rules of the sea, but since this was exacttly the reaction you expected to draw from him, you just pushed his hand aside.

You went after Dude, who finally seemed to be on the trail of Ben's whereabouts. Or it was what you thought, because all you could see were trees and more trees, and...

You heard a loud growl and out of nowhere a buffalo monster jumped from behind a tree, pouncing on the little squad. Good thing you all had good reflexes, because with the size of the claws of this over-grown furry ball, he would have ripped your guts out in the blink of an eye.

Now, more than ever, you regretted not going back to Atlantica.

What the hell was this thing?

Oh wait...

The blue and yellow combinantion...

The clothes...

Oh...

That thing was Ben.

Gosh, Audrey didn't take easily their break up, did she? You made a mental note of never ever dating her if this was how she treated her exes.

"Use your magic " Carlos cried out, urging you to do something about your beasty friend.

"My magic won't do any good. He needs true love kiss or something like that, and I am defenitely not a furry" you pratically shouted the last part, getting ready to defend yourself in case Ben decided to attack you again.

It was Gil who noticed something was wrong with the beast's hand.

"He's got a boo-boo that's why he is so cranky... My dad said his dad did not handle pain well, at all" he talked about his father's murder attempt on King Beast as if he was talking about the weather.

How precious was this boy?

Ben snarled at you again, and Carlos stepped in. Carefully, he approached the cursed boy, soothing him. You expected Ben to pluck out Carlos eyes or something, but the VK managed to pull the thorn out of Ben's furry hand with mastery, instead.

Nice...

Now what?

Out of nowhere, a blast of water flew right past your head and splashed all over Ben's beasty body. Slowly, he started to look less like a beast and more like an ordinary human being. You looked over your shoulder and saw Jane, who was holding a water blaster, it became quite clear that the Fairy Godmother's daughter was the one responsible for undoing partially Ben's curse. Who needed a magical wand when you had enchanted lake water, right?

You and Jay rushed to help Ben, holding him up and taking him to sit down on a rock nearby. The poor boy seemed to just have woken up from a nightmare. However, not even the enchanted water was strong enought to lift the spell completely, but it was funny to watch Jane splashing another blast of water on Ben's face in hopes of making his new grown beard and fangs to disappear.

"Don't worry" you reassured him "I'm sure Mal won't mind"

"Do you like it?" Ben grinned cheerfully and ran his hand over his beard, expecting your approval.

You hummed, not sure if he wanted to hear the truth. You looked away from your friend and saw Harry hitting on Jane and a jealous and protective Carlos interceding on her behalf.

You rolled your eyes. Being in Auradon was always like entering into some cheesy soap opera. The drama, the angst, the musical numbers that came out of nowhere...

While Jay and Carlos explained to Jane and a very confused Ben everything that had happened up to that point, you decide to stay away from the conversation to avoid questions that could lead them to realize you had helped Uma. Not that you were afraid of them, but if your grandfather knew about that, he would have a fit and King Triton's rage was feared in all seven seas and beyond. So, there you were again, left to talk to the villain kids who, although you weren't sure why, appeared to be a little apprehensive since Ben joined the group. Then again, it could be just your impression.

"Are you enjoying Auradon so far?" you asked the boys.

Gil went on a rant about what he liked so far, giving examples and detalied descriptions of flowers, grapes, threes, berries and all the things that you had in Auaradon and they didn't have back on the Isle, which was basically everything. He also said something about penguins and going on a jungle cruise with Jay, but you didn't pay attention because Harry leaned over you with that stupid smug grin of his.

"It's not as boring as I thought it would be" did he really have to come this close just to say that? You were pretty sure that his life's mission was to be as annoying as he could.

"Really? Everybody is cursed..." you replied, but it only made his grin to grow wider.

"Exactly"

You shook your head, what a weirdo.

"Hey" Gil called your name, making both you and Harry to turn your heads in his direction at the same time "Do you think Ben will kick us back to the Isle?"

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Harry stiffen up and his confident expression fade away.

Was it possible that they were worried that Ben wouldn't allow the kids to come off the Isle as Mal had promised?

"No!" you set their minds at rest "Ben may seem a bit innocent, but he is compassionate and very smart. The VK Program was idealized by him and even if people didn't agree with it, he put his foot down. I know Ben and I've annoyed him long enough about this matter, so I am sure he won't abandon the Isle. Also, Evie will kill him if he shuts down the program... Thus, I think you're good"

More than that, you would never let him put Uma back on the Isle and if he did that, it would become your personal goal to make him regret every decision he ever made in his life. Actually, if Ben dared to back down, you'd raise hell.

Finally, you arrived at Evie's home and in the right time! You've been walking on land for too long and starting to feel a little dehydrated. All you wanted to do was to come in and have a glass of water. Luckily, the girls were already waiting for you at the door and, as you got closer, they greeted the group, glad that everyone was alive and safe. Uma even teased Mal about Ben's fangs. Funny how a few hours earlier they were at each other's throats and now it was like they had always been friends.

"You okay?" you felt Uma's hand on your shoulder and looked at her, smiling.

"Yes, of course. Just feeling a bit dried. Have I mentioned how much I hate being ashore?"

"I don't know. Maybe a thousand times, just every single day since we met. 'Uma, the human world is a nightmare. Humans are so annoying and stinky, swimming with dolphings is so much better than anything else they have up there' " she made an impression of you, putting her hand on her forehead dramatically.

You groaned.

"Don't mock my pain, and I never said that. You know I much rather swim with rays, they're way more friendly than dolphins. Also, I do not speak like that".

"But the attitude is on point" she winked.

Then, it was decided that Jane, Gil and Doug would go after Fairy Godmother, who surely had become a stone statue like everybody else, otherwise she'd have appeared by now. Or maybe not, after a 16 years old boy was crowned King of Auradon you stopped believing adults had any idea what to do. Therefore, Fairy Godmother could very well be drinking tea while expecting that a bunch of teenagers would solve all the problems.

As soon as you entered Evie's cottage, you went straight to the kitchen. Getting the biggest cup you found, you filled it with water and, to give it an extra punch, you added some salt. It was the closest thing you had to ocean's water, anyway. The glass was almost touching your lips; unfortunately, everything went wrong.

Harry Hook literally came out of nowhere and took the glass from your hands, you tried to warn him against it but it was too late, the next moment he had already drunk all its content. You'd have laughed when his carefree expression changed into one of utter disgust as he swallowed the water, if he hadnt spitted out all of it on your face soon after.

You did what any sane person would have done: you started yelling at him.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" Harry screamed as loud as you "What kind of person drink salt water?" his pained expression showed that the taste still didn't have left his mouth.

"A mermaid, you barbarian!!" you shouted, doing your best to dry your face off.

"Were you trying to poison me?"

You scoffed at the pirate's words. Was he really accusing you? You had to give him kudos for his guts, because he lacked any commom sense.

"YOU STOLE MY FUCKING WATER!!" you shouted at the top of your lungs. If everyone in Auradon wasn't sleeping or a statue, they would have been able to hear all the nasty things you said to Harry, to which he replied accordingly.

It took you both a while to notice a third voice joining the riot, it was Uma's. Upon hearing the shouts and death threats, the girl entered the kitchen to find her best friends acting like angry sharks. It was almost amusing to see how fast Harry went quiet when he saw Uma there, asking if you two had gone mad.

"She tried to poison me, Uma!" he pointed at you accusingly.

"Excuse me!" you look at your friend, who couldn't be any less impressed by your petty explanations "He spit water on my face. MY WATER. I WAS GOING TO DRINK IT"

The sea witch's daughter rolled her eyes so hard that you could swear she saw her own brain.

"You know what, lass?" Harry got dangerously close to you, leaning slightly on the kitchen's table "I'm used to rotten food and sea water, but I have never tasted anything as dreadful as this. If this is what mermaids have to drink, I understand why so many of you want to leave the ocean".

You gasped and he grimmed, thinking he had finally gotten you. That pirate had just crossed the line and he had no idea who he was dealing with. You could put up with him stealing your drink and spitting it all over you, but talking bullshit about your beloved kin was something you weren't able to ignore. Uma would have to settle for having Gil as her first mate because you were about to kill Harry.

"You know what Hook" you said in your sweetest-sounding voice "You have the accent, the jacket, the hook, the smokey eyes... but you're still missing one thing... Better saying, you are not missing it..."

As quick as one could blink, you grabbed a small knife from the counter and stabbed it into the table close to where Harry's hand was lying.

"A FUCKING HAND!".

Okay, you wanted the knife to land close to Harry's hand, but it was a little too close... Actually, you failed to hit it for a couple of inches, had you done it a little bit to the left, Harry Hook would be lacking a finger.

Maybe you were kind of moody, after all.

Harry Hook had big blue eyes that usually sparkled with a boyish malice (and a bit of insanity), but, right now, he was looking at you with bulging eyes, one part of him didn't believe in what you just had done and the other was a little bit impressed by it. Of course all these emotions washed off from his face in seconds.

"DID YOU SEE IT, UMA? SHE IS CRAZY!"

"So, you can walk around spitting on people and threatening to hook them and that's okay? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE ME"

And the yelling started again, but Uma was having none of it and she knew both of you enough to understand that if someone did not step in, you wouldn't stop until one of you were dead.

"Stop both of you, right now!" she didn't even have to shout, just the look on her face was enough to make you shut up "We are on a very dangerous mission and we don't have time to deal with this silliness!"

"She started!"

"He started!"

You both cried out at the same time.

Uma took a deep breath, her patience running thin.

"I don't want to hear it. If you want to act like children, I'll treat you as such. Now, apologize to each other.

Harry and you exchanged looks of pure and sincere disgust.

"I won't do it" you threw your hands up.

"Neither will I" Harry declared, folding his arms.

"Great, so I'll call Evie and Gil and they can talk to you about the importance of friendship. I will personally ask them to sing about it"

Uma's threat was enough to make Harry turn to you and apologize.

Uma had real power over him. A true goddess, indeed.

"Okay, I'm sorry" the words that left his mouth were bitter and you knew he was dying inside for having to say them out loud, and that's why you enjoyed every single second of it.

In this moment, Mal called all of you to hurry up because they were about to go to Fairy Cottage, Uma gave you and Harry a warning look before leaving the kitchen and you went to fetch another glass of water. You were almost finishing to drink it when you notice Harry staring.

You took the last gulp and smiled innocently at him.

"I'm sorry, did you want some?" you asked.

"You didn't apologize" he raised an eyebrow and you put the glass down. Walking closer to him, you looked the pirate right in the eye.

"I just said I'm sorry, didn't I?"

"It doesn't count!"

"Yes, it does"

"No, it doesn't"

You hated to admit, but you were taking quite a liking to teasing him. Fortunately for you, Jay came into the kitchen to fetch you and Harry who were delaying the rest of the group. You couldn't help but notice the despleased look in the pirate's face.

Victory.

[flour-is-a-spice]

Some more Camp Camp thoughts

Okay, so, I’ve already talked about how I feel that some of the characters have felt off and out of character in season 4. Fortunately, that problem’s mostly gone away as the season’s progressed, so I’m grateful for that. But, there’s a major problem I’ve noticed and thought about and I wanted to share it. But first let’s talk about The Forest. Oh, god, The Forest.

The Forest has a very strange tone. It’s got this unhappy, tragic, hopeless vibe to it. Part of me wishes that David would have been more outwardly positive and optimistic, but I realize that he had no need to. There was nobody else there that me needed to encourage. He didn’t need to put on a show. He was just himself. And it shows that David is a persistent, determined, unwavering person. He doesn’t let things going wrong stop him, because if he did, he’d never get anywhere in life. So in the end I think he was characterized pretty well.

And the rock scene. Hoo boy, the rock scene. Way to rip out my heart. What I like about this scene is that it really feels out of character for David on its own until you think about everything he’s been through. And the way he talks, and the way he acts implies that he’s not talking to the wolf, he’s talking to the world. He’s talking to all the people and things and events that always seem to keep pushing him and working against him. He’s talking to his memories of all the times when he didn’t do anything wrong and the universe just seemed to have it out for him. And I think that’s very powerful. The wolf was just the breaking point. It had been building for awhile.

So, overal, I think the Forest was a great episode. But anyway, I bet you must be wondering, “hey, what was the major problem she mentioned at the beginning?”

It’s continuity. Or lack thereof.

So. Seasons 1 and 2 little to no continuity. And the continuity it did have was just little tidbits and throwaway lines. Nothing too important or plot relevant. Things that were destroyed were miraculously fixed in the next episode, like everything seemed to reset. So, yeah, there was little to no continuity. But then seasons 3 and 4 came along, and suddenly things were permanent. Like, spooky island burning down. And I wouldn’t have a problem with this change in continuity if it was ACTUALLY ADDRESSED.

Nobody bats an eye when spooky island burns down. That’s not out of place for like season 1 or 2, but now, when it seems like they ARE actually getting rid of the island forever, it seems so weird for all the characters to just be so nonchalant and calm about it.

Also, another big problem with continuity this season is how the characters react when other characters go missing.

Let me explain. Max went missing for three days in “Follow the Leader”. Three days. And nobody was worried? Not even David? Let me remind you that in season 1 “Reigny Day” Neil went missing for a few hours and everybody went looking for him. Well, David, Dolph, Max and Nikki did. And then, in “The Forest,” David is gone for what we assume is around a month, and nobody cares? It just feels so AWFUL, like this group of friends who are basically like a family at this point just don’t care about eachother anymore. Like, seriously, David or Max could have been dead! Gwen didn’t even care about the paperwork? It’s like they want continuity, but only SOMETIMES. And that’s not okay.

You know what I think would have been a better end to The Forest?

David finally makes it back to camp (and in our version it’s only been a week or so). It’s clear that David is just happy he made it back alive. He doesn’t expect any fanfare or greeting. He just wants to eat something and go to sleep. But, the moment he steps foot in the camp, someone yells something like “David’s back!” And all the campers rush out and complain about all the things he didn’t do or they couldn’t do while he was away. They ask him where he was, why he was gone for so long, what happened to his leg. They won’t admit it (some of them might) but they all missed him. They realized, in his absence, just how much they needed him. Then Gwen comes rushing out and is like “Jesus DAVID what the fuck happened” and David just shrugs her off and says he’ll tell her later. Then Max walks over. He and David just look at eachother for a little bit. Then Max says something like, “Welcome back, moron.” And David actually feels appreciated and seen, to contrast how alone and out-of-control he felt in the woods Then it goes back into the actual end of the episode when David says “where did we leave off, oh right, the lesson!” And it’s exactly the same as the actual ending to the episode but just in a different location. Like, David has his speech about kindness, and Max has his one-liner, and the episode ends. But it ends on such a lighter, more hopeful note.

So, yeah, that’s my idea for an improved end to the episode. Tell me what you guys think!

[idkwhoiamanymorebutwtf]

Maybe we should go a little easier on some of the Camp Camp parents?

Okay. I'm all for bashing bad parents. Like fuck Max's parents and Stewart Huston is on thin fucking ice and needs to shape up as a father. Like I won't completely villainize him (yet) cause he seems to love Dolph but his attitude is toxic and he just needs to get better. Of course we know Nurf's dad is pretty bad too (luckily his mom loves him) and I don't trust Nikki's dad in the slightest (he didn't bother to come for parents day and while that alone doesn't criminalise him since Candy did show up but from what Nikki's mentioned of him it doesn't look good)

H o w e v e r

However two parents I routinely see called out for being bad and I'm not so sure I agree. These are Candy and Harrison's Parents. Now before y'all get upset about me defending Harrison's Parent's, lemme explain why exactly I feel the need to.

His parents are clearly rather standoffish with him and the way they treat him isn't good. They are by no means amazing parents. However there's quite a bit of evidence to say this is a fairly recent development. Harrison didn't act as if it was normal. He walked up to his parents like "hi mom and dad :)" when he first saw them and later when he said "come up here and let me saw one of you in half!!" He was pretty happy and confident. Harrison didn't interact with his parents like someone who isn't loved and cared for. He interacta with them like somebody who's used to having doting parents and is surprised he doesn't anymore. That combined with lines like "I can't wait to tell my parents (what I learned today" and "My mom says I will grow into my looks" really makes me think his family was pretty good up until they decided to send him to camp. And why is it that they sent him to camp? He made his brother disappear! It isn't Harrison's fault. Harrison is a little kid who didn't know what would happen before it did. But for the love of god if I lost my young child because his brother had unnatural abilities that he's incapable of controlling I'd freak out too. And they didn't like disown Harrison or throw him out on the street. They sent him to a summer camp where he could learn to better control his abilities! I'm not saying they handled things the best way possible. But people can't always be expected to act in idealistic ways. By all means it seems like they've been loving parents his whole life and are still tryinf their best to be good parents despite their completely justified fear in his powers. So I just can't understand the fics and posts that pop up here and there about how bad they are and 'David save Harrison because his parents clearly hate him and want him gone!!'

And then there's Candy. And honestly I just cannot understand why so many people are so convinced she doesn't give a shit about Nikki. I mean Nikki is a sweet, good kid despite having a bit too much energy. Her confidence and happy nature really just tips me off immediately that she's probably cared for well enough because normally kids with terrible parents are much more damaged than her. Of course that alone isn't exactly a way to say for certain that she has an amazing home life but we know her mom spends time with her at least sometimes (like how apparently they went bird watching?) And while it's a bit odd that Candy just brushed off Nikki's run-in with the flower scouts, we know that Candy doesn't completely ignore Nikki's feelings. She sent Nikki off to a camp that she really thought she'd like and it's not Candy's fault that turned out to be a scam. Candy definately isn't the best mom but people seem to blow her behavior out of proportion when she seems to be a single mother trying her best. She may be a little distracted but it doesn't even begin to cross into the neglect or even abuse some people seem to treat her behavior as. I even saw somebody post about how Nikki's full name beig Nikolette actually means she was named after the nicotine gum Nicorette which means Candy is a bad mom who doesn't care about Nikki. Which I just have to laugh at because...I mean...first off Nikolette and Nicorette are no where near the same word with Nikki's full name obviously using the letter 'k' since her nickname does too and her full name also has an 'l' not an 'r' in it? Plus the brand name comes from "nicotine" and Swedish: rette, "right way" while the name Nikolette is an actual name which means Victory Of The People. And that kind of logic kinda just shows how well thought out most of the points used to say Candy is awful are.

[corbo-florbo]

Fantasy Booking - Smackdown: Getting Old and Growing Up

Soooo, how about that ending to Super Showdown, huh? Yeah, I’m still reeling from that myself, but thankfully, this has altered this fantasy booking only a small amount. I guess I sat on this for too long! Rather than do a “what-if” of alternate events rather than the one we got, I figured why not run with what we’ve got? It’s even got a message I felt passionate about sharing, something I’ve been holding on to as a nostalgic person. Also, I promise this is the last one of John Cena I do for a while. Promise.

Tagging my favorite new people to talk wrestling with: @mith-gifs-wrestling and @adriennegabriella! Without further ado, here we go!

Friday Night Smackdown, the night after the Super Showdown pay-per-view. Goldberg is out, celebrating his win, as you expect - negative reactions. People are upset, angry. Almost as though they were in mourning. Goldberg cuts a promo about how he has let the WWE Universe down too many times. 2004, Wrestlemania 20, the night he left. 2017, Wrestlemania 33, his loss to Brock Lesnar before riding off into the sunset towards retirement after not being able to keep up with Lesnar. 2019, Super Showdown, the night he and Undertaker put on that horrific match. Yet, after defeating a horrifying monster, he is met with boos and jeers. “What does it take to please you people?!” The frustration and tension in the air is palpable from the sheer hatred from the WWE Universe, that Goldberg meets in kind. He’s done being Mr. Nice Goldberg, he doesn’t care what everyone wants, he just cares about “WHO’S NEXT?!”

Cue the Firefly Funhouse, as Bray Wyatt cheerfully welcomes everyone, even Goldberg. He claims that he and The Fiend harbor no ill will towards Goldberg. Goldberg has no history with Wyatt, so therefore The Fiend did not feel any need to dominate, not to mention never fighting Goldberg before. Now that Goldberg took something away from him, however, he doesn’t rule out collecting that debt. He then goes on to state that he never truly intended on obtaining the title. He was just after Seth Rollins at that time. Seth and Bray had a complicated past, so The Fiend had to make him pay like he made Finn Balor pay. Just like he eventually made Daniel Bryan pay. Miz, being the only exception, was targeted by Bray,not The Fiend, as there was little history, none of it hurting Bray in the past. The title means nothing to him, and he doesn’t mind moving on. Bray goofily asks “who’s next?” before resorting to that growl and saying the familiar “Let Me In.” 

This night, John Cena returns to a warm welcome. He’s happy to see us as much as we are happy to see him. Cena states he doesn’t know how long he has left to provide to the WWE, but he knows this is his home. He remembers where he came from, the place he held it down. Just the usual standard stuff. Nothing too big, but the backstage footages of him subtly show Firefly Funhouse puppets lurking around in the background. Ironically, it is Cena that can’t see them. 

Next Smackdown, the go-home to Elimination Chamber, Goldberg comes out to cut a promo asking “Who’s Next?” Out comes Roman Reigns, having ended his feud with King Corbin, and Roman looks annoyed. Pissed, even. He eyes down Goldberg, who smiles, confused. 

“Roman Reigns, nice to finally meet you in person. I see you’ve adopted my spear. So what brings you out here, and what’s on your mind, son?” Goldberg does not take his eyes off Roman.

“I’mma just say this once, Bill. The Fiend worked his ass off to get to where he was. He found himself - whoever the hell that was - and the fruits of his labor was paying off. You know how hard that is to do in this company? I’ve been finding out the hard way after my ass got taken out. Y’know, I too lost the Universal Title, and I’ve been busting my ass to get back there. It’s almost fate it’s here on Smackdown with me. Now, here’s my problem with you, and people like you.

“Y’see Bill, we are the new generation, and we’ve been dying to bring something new to the table. We leave it all in the ring only to hear that today’s product sucks. That we need to bring back the Attitude Era, and now the Ruthless Aggression Era. Everyone is stuck in the past, and that’s where guys like you come in. Some familiar face that the casual fan comes in to see, and all of a sudden wrestling is magical again, it’s captivating again. Out the window goes our hard work, all that easily ignored. Of course you wouldn’t know what that’s like, you’ve had a rocket strapped to your back your whole career. Squashing people left and right in WCW, and starting off dominant coming off into WWE. Then you couldn’t handle it and you left. Came back again, and lost, and guess what? You left. You gonna leave again? Might as well leave it to someone more capable.

Unfortunately Roman isn’t done with Corbin, as he comes to the ring, and cuts a short promo, followed by Robert Roode (planting seeds for dissention between their trio involving Dolph Ziggler). Then Shinsuke Nakamura and his mouthpiece Sami Zayn (with a tinge of longing and jealousy in his voice as he gazes at the title Goldberg holds.). Braun Strowman comes out, wanting to add another title belt around his waist. Daniel Bryan comes out and cuts a promo about how lost he’s been, and he needs this Elimination Chamber match to find out which direction he needs to go. Goldberg chuckles and leaves. The match has been set and the figures are in place. To the victor goes the spoils.

That same night, John Cena issues an open challenge for Elimination Chamber, and the Firefly Funhouse music plays. Bray greets John. “Hiya John! Yowie wowie, it’s been ages since I seen you! Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks! Remember that? I do...” then Bray transitions into a growl. “And so does he.” Back to smiles, Bray continues: “You’re a hero! A legend! Shoot, at Wrestlemania 30, you defeated me, even with the help of my former Fireflies! Your many, MANY fans loved it, but there’s someone that didn’t. HE still doesn’t like that, John.” Bray goes into a hush, “Maybe he wants to meet you again. Maybe at Elimination Chamber, he wants to get his hands on you... Let me in. See ya, bye!”

Unsettled but undeterred, Cena accepts, confident. If Goldberg could take down Fiend, why not him? But it was all a trick, as at Elimination Chamber, Bray comes out instead of The Fiend, but not even as Funhouse Bray, but Muscleman Dance Bray. Just like with The Fiend, Muscleman Dance Bray (MDB for short) no-sells every move by John Cena, and dances to taunt him. Desparate, Cena goes for every Attitude Adjustment and Five-Knuckle Shuffle (enough to the point the lead-up to his moves becomes shorter, until there is no lead-up.) Cena drops more and more moves from his arsenal: Running One-Hand Bulldog, Flying Shoulder Block, and what seems most effective, the STFU. Bray powers out of each, almost rhythmically, as he goes in for the win.

Jump to the Elimination Chamber match, starting out with Shinsuke and Roode. Shinsuke seems to dominate at first, but Roode starts powering out more. They go back and forth until the next entrant comes out: King Corbin. Sami tries to help in the back, trying to distract against Corbin and Roode, which works to a degree. It matters not, for Shinsuke still struggles. He reaches for Sami, as though expecting something and Sami reaches back, barely through the Chamber wall, before being attacked by Elias and laid out. Corbin gets the pin on Shinsuke, eliminating the King of Strong Style. As he’s rolled out, Corbin hits a surprise End-of-Days on Roode, covers him for the pin, bringing the fight down to four people. Out comes Daniel Bryan, who gets the boot by Corbin. Bryan takes opportunity of this by grabbing Corbin’s leg, pulling him down for a leg lock, shades of Ric Flair. This is broken up a bit later by the next entrant, Braun Strowman, but not without a bit of wait time. His pod door won’t open, so he breaks through and breaks the submission. Grabbing Bryan, Strowman carries him and slams him down on the mat and gets the pin. A roar erupts from the Monster Among Men, taking his eyes off Corbin, who dishes out a low-blow. As Roman steps out of his pod, Strowman kicks out at 2. Roman pulls Corbin to his feet, backs to the turnbuckle and dishes out a Superman Punch. That pin is broken up by an enraged Strowman. Tying Roman to the turnbuckle using the ropes, Braun barrels into him over and over again. Corbin crawls outside near the Chamber wall, watching as this goes on. Braun takes notice. “I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!” as he steps over the top rope and grabs Corbin by his head. Roman gets untangled and wraps his arms around Braun’s head until he is brought over the top rope, but he lands on his feet. Two spears from Roman later, and Strowman staggers. Roman grabs his head, looks to the audience and gives a cocky smirk as he lifts Strowman up for a Jackhammer, ending with a powerful slam. 1, 2, 3. Now it’s Roman and Corbin. The two stare for a bit, Roman ever so determined, but there’s something different in Corbin’s eyes.

“I QUIT! Corbin raises Roman’s hand, and walks out of the Chamber. Confused, Roman shrugs it off and celebrates. 

Next Smackdown, Roman brags about his win. “Y’all, this has been a long time comin’. My ass fought long and hard to get back to the title I never lost. I kicked leukemia’s ass. I came back and dominated, even survived a crappy attempt at manslaughter by Rowan. Most importantly I survived Corbin, and I thought that would never end!”

Almost as if a reply, Corbin’s entrance theme plays. All seriousness with Corbin as he walks to the ring. “Don’t think this means we’re buddy-buddy. I still hate you. But I hate moments when old, legendary part-timers come in and take time from us. I know that’s cheap coming from me. I got so much camera time and I’ve had that “go away heat”, but this has got to end. It’s our time, Roman. And you might just be the one to stop Goldberg. I mean, he hasn’t even showed up for a match since he won the damn title! Meanwhile, you come in every week and do your job. You’ve kicked my ass I don’t know how many times over the past few months and did you complain? No. You’ve got the heart of a lion. No matter what happens, you do not stop until he is down, you got me? You take his ass down, Roman! Put an end to this, before I put an end to you! You owe it not to yourself, or even these idiots out here. You owe it to me and everyone else backstage. Get that title, Roman. So I can take it off of you.” Corbin leaves, and Roman isn’t smiling anymore. This isn’t fun and games anymore.

In the ring later that night, Goldberg is interviewed by Michael Cole. Cole asks if Goldberg is worried about Roman, which Goldberg shrugs off and laughs. “You’re asking me if that young pipsqueak has anything on me? Please, I took out the best of ‘em. Hogan, Raven, Sting, DDP, Jericho, even Brock Lesnar. Roman’s just a guy. He’s next alright, but not for the title. He’s next for a spear. He’s next to be my victim. Come Wrestlemania, he’s dead meat.”

John Cena’s theme song hits, and he walks down the ramp. “Seems you forgot, you got one more pay-per-view between now and Wrestlemania, pops. Fastlane, remember? Isn’t that where you took out Kevin Owens?”

“Maybe, but I figured it was just a pit stop, y’know?” Goldberg retorts, his dumb old grin spreading. Meanwhile, Michael Cole steps out, knowing how this goes, being a vet to the industry. “It’s just a formality at that point. It’s a foregone conclusion. C’mon, I’m Bill freaking Goldberg. You’re just Mr. Hollywood now, so run along now pretty boy. I bet I don’t even have to hit a Jackhammer on you!”

Cena chuckles. “Now ain’t that an arrogant way to see things? After all, why not deny these people a chance to see a dream match they didn’t know they wanted?”

“Screw these people! I come back and they turn on me.”

“They’ve been against me for half my career, it ain’t nothin’ new to me old-timer. I still came in regardless. They turned on Roman too, he ain’t never turned on them though. So I think it’s time I take your old ass down a few pegs and make you humble. How does Fastlane sound?”

“Really, Cena? You think you can take on me? Name one thing you think you got that makes you think you can go toe-to-toe with me!”

A smile spreads upon Cena’s face. It’s been a while he’s been asked this. “RUTHLESS AGGRESSION!” A slap to Goldberg, which is no-sold, as per usual. He pushes Cena, and crouches for a spear, which Cena dodges, as he gives the Flying Shoulder Block. “Remember Goldberg, at Fastlane, as you’re laying flat on your back and the ref counts to three, just remember that you were next. Cena out.”

Fastlane approaches, and the two legends face off in the main event. Cena displays an offense we haven’t seen in a long time from him. He’s brutal, attacking before Goldberg. Goldberg hits him with three spears in between Cena’s bigger arsenal of moves. Still, Cena persists. Cena resorts to heelish tactics, like tricking the referee, hitting Goldberg with weapons, and using the environment to his advantage. He’s wearing down Goldberg the best he can. After an AA, he sets it up for the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, knowing an AA won’t be enough to put Goldberg down. As he gets ready for the drop, the arena goes black. With the little amount of lights, Cena can be seen suffering a Mandible Claw at the hands of The Fiend until he is incapacitated. The arena brightens up again and The Fiend is gone. Goldberg takes advantage of this and gets the pin over Cena. Goldberg is then boo’d out of the building. 

The Friday following, Goldberg brags about how Cena was just another guy. “Yeah, he made me give out everything I had, but it just wasn’t enough. LIke I said, I didn’t even have to hit a Jackhammer on him! I’m going through everyone like I did him. I’m the bullet that’s shooting through all of your heroes!” He drops the mic and as he heads back through the entrance, he is met with a spear by Roman Reigns, mic in hand. “You still got me to deal with, grandpa.”

Later that night, Cena sits in a chair in the middle of the ring. The arena is dark, with all lights on him. “So I stopped your momentum back in the day, Bray. I get it. I was on my own power trip that I didn’t let you have your moment. Again, I get it. Someone with your capabilities could have taken over this company, yet I took out you and your goons. But you need to stop right now. I’m not just someone looking for a big payday. This is my home. If you keep coming after me, I will do all I can to put your ass down. Maybe I won’t last against you, you’re a different beast now. I may be looking at my next big defeat. Whatever it takes, come Hell or high water, I’ll do what it takes, even if I gotta take this golden shovel everyone claims I have, and I’ll bury your ass back to Hell where you belong!”

The Friday before Wrestlemania, Cena doesn’t show up, but he is shown in a montage vignette of getting himself in shape to take on The Fiend. Further into that evening, a Firefly Funhouse promo plays out, with The Fiend and the gang discussing John Cena. Ramblin’ Rabbit pleads with Bray to not go after Cena, before being killed again. Mercy the Buzzard says he wants to see blood run from Cena’s face. Abby the Witch asks Bray to make it quick so she can get back to her beauty sleep. Huskus the Pig simply sleeps. Bray stops the kiddie talk at the end, saying: “You’ve stopped me from taking everything over before, John. You’re next... Let me in...” Cheerful Bray returns, “See ya in Hell! Bye, bye, bye!”

The night ends with a contract signing between Goldberg and Roman Reigns. Roman signs first, not saying anything...yet. Goldberg cockily proclaims, “You’re awfully eager to get speared into an early grave! You sure you don’t wanna back out and play out the rest of your career? It’s only the end for you after Wrestlemania, young man!”

“I’m not gonna say your catchphrase, about bein’ next or whatever. I’m not gonna make any snide remarks. I am gonna  put your ass down, and make an example out of you. I’m gonna send a message for every old, decrepit fossil that decides they gonna step in the ring with my generation that we ain’t gonna take it anymore. We’re sick and tired, and it’s our time. If it takes my ass getting boo’d again, so be it. At Wrestlemania, you’re not next, last, or whatever you like to say. At Wrestlemania, Bill, you’re done.” Roman leaves and Goldberg signs. Commentary remarks about how rare it is that contract signings don’t end in a calamitous brawl.

Wrestlemania time:

John Cena vs The Fiend Bray Wyatt - John shows up in regular, red and blue wrestling shorts. No more jean shorts. The Fiend stares him down regardless. Cena hits low blow after low blow, and changes his AA into an FU. Not even that stops Fiend. Shoulder Block, Five Knuckle Shuffle, Running One-Hand Bulldog, and even the Sixth Move of Doom isn’t enough to end Fiend. Each time he gets up, he hits the Mandible Claw, only to have it broken out. Cena even removes the pad from the turnbuckle, and Irish Whips Fiend in that direction, only for it to be reversed and Cena hits it face-first. There is one move Cena hasn’t tried though, and doesn’t get to try after Fiend transitions his Mandible Claw into an STFU. Cena looks like he’s about to pass out, as drool drips from his mouth and blood drips from his forehead. He taps out. The Fiend has just collected another debt. 

Goldberg vs Roman Reigns (Universal Title) - Both men hit a spear on each other, first thing. Both men are flat. Goldberg attempts to knee Roman, but misses as he hits the Superman Punch. Roman even brings back moves he doesn’t use as much, such as the Drive By and the Moment of Silence. Goldberg gets up from those and spears Roman twice. Roman no-sells both of them, patting his vest, which he then takes off for the first time since he put it on in his wrestling career. He hits Goldberg with another Superman Punch, which only staggers him before giving Roman a Jackhammer, and goes for the pin, which Roman kicks out a second before the ref could count to three. Goldberg beats down on Roman’s head, until the referee forces him off. Goldberg watches impatiently as Roman gets to his feet, and quickly moves out of the way as Goldberg’s spear hits the turnbuckle post. Roman hits the “OOOH-AHHH!” before lunging another spear at Goldberg, and gets his leg up for the pin. 1, 2, 3 and Roman is reunited with the Universal Champion again.

Goldberg stays retired, having realized the error of his ways. He grows up and realizes those years as a dominant force are to be left behind him. Roman has a lengthy and entertaining reign (see what I did there?), and loosens up again, being laid-back and entertaining to the fans. John Cena sticks around for a bit, becoming more brash and abrasive, having gone heel, and he targets Roman, who has to teach another old man a lesson. As for Bray, he hints at targeting Roman in the future. Maybe not now, but someday, he will get that title back, as he still has a score to settle with Roman. But next on his agenda? The Undertaker. Survivor Series. Four decades since The Deadman's debut.

[alltheimaginationofme]

A Different Kind Of Glasgow Kiss- Drew McIntyre

Lil’ bit of Drew loving, not requested but oh so needed!

Tags: @blondekel77 @calwitch @chanelxberlinstark @briqueenofthenorth @fioportella @wrestlingfae @whocares006 @dancefaeirie @ramsaypants @alibob687 @lunarchaosqueen @keepyourdreamsalive @meremaidqueen @demonqueen29

 WARNING SMUT AHEAD

P.S: Let me know how I did with it!

Dolph was a pain in the ass. He couldn’t ever keep his hands to himself or his nose out of other people’s business. Since his return, he’d been nothing but trouble for everyone backstage, but he apparently took a liking to me in particular. I think because I didn’t take his shit without giving some back made it a challenge to him.

But where I’m from, you don’t back down.

“Hey sweetness, wanna go for a drink? Or should I say shall we go for a tea break?” Dolph swung himself onto the nearest crate that I was folding clothes on and I rolled my eyes at his attempt at an English dig. Another annoying aspect of Dolph was his relentlessness. Now he KNEW he could get a rise out of me- he never stopped until he did. I collected the pile of clothes and ignored him, turning to another stack that needed my attention. “Comeon babygirl, you don’t need a big red bus- I’ll give you a tour of me for free.” He cackled at his own joke and I cringed, it only ever seemed to be London jokes with him. Dolph jumped from his crate and into the seat that I was going to put clothes in. “You can’t hold out on me forever, I know you. Maybe I should ask my Scottish friend for tips?” He wriggled his eyebrows at me and I sighed.

“Perhaps I should ask your Scottish babysitter to come pick you up, we all know you get annoying when you drink too much Mountain Dew” Dolph grinned in triumph at me and I frowned, I usually lasted longer than that against him. It was whenever he brought up the skulking Scotsman I always tried to end the conversation early. There was something about Drew that I couldn’t shake, he was like kryptonite to me. Obviously the large man was insanely attractive, but whenever he was around me I just seemed to freeze.

I grunted at Dolph’s grinning face “Get outta here Ziggler, some of us have work to do.” Dolph got right up in my space and murmured “And some of us wish that work was on a rather large and heavily accented man.” His face was close to mine, and the temptation to head-butt him was astounding. If I did that, I would lose my job and the game would be up- no doubt Dolph would make a public scene to further add to my discomfort. So I played him at his own game.

“Actually Dolph, I was rather hoping for someone smaller, blonde, shit eating grin… And definitely can’t tell the difference between Dorito orange and sunkissed tan.” I put my hand on his shoulder and pushed past him, laughing as he spluttered for a comeback.

Apparently, Dolph would get his revenge a week later in the form of a wardrobe malfunction. When I arrived to his call I was beyond shocked to learn it wasn’t Ziggler with the problem- it was his partner. My eyes widened when Drew held out his trunks to me and looked almost apologetic. I narrowed my eyes at the trunks, the split was too clean to be wear-and-tear. Dolph snickered in the corner and I sighed, of course he would cut the trunks. “No problem McIntyre, give me 10 minutes tops.” I took the clothing and turned from the room, not giving either man a chance to speak. Dolph would only anger me, and Drew would only make walking away more difficult.

I sat at the sewing station about 3 minutes later and was beginning the repairs on the trunks when someone walked up behind me. It could honestly be anyone in this department, but when I felt someone leaning over my shoulder I bristled. “Repairs for Drew McIntyre.” I didn’t look up from my work and the person was still there when they spoke “Aye love, I came ta see how ya were doin”

I froze. Luckily I was sat down, or else that voice curling around me would’ve made my knees weak. Drew walked to the side of my work station, grabbed a chair from another and sat. He motioned with his hand and I shook myself out of the stupor and began to work again.

The work wasn’t actually difficult, I was just making sure I checked and rechecked everything in front of him- I didn’t want anyone complaining about my handiwork. Drew had sat and watched silently the entire time, and although he was trying his best to be quiet he still cut an imposing figure watching me work.

When I was finished, I held the trunks to him and avoided making eye contact with him. He grunted and stood, towering over me. I felt him hesitate and he took the trunks gently, our fingers stroking as he did so and I shivered. “Thank ya love” His deep timbre vibrated through my body and I nodded, almost closing my eyes at it. I didn’t see his grin as he walked away. I was too busy trying to remain calm after staring at his thighs for the past 5 minutes.

I managed to avoid Dolph for the rest of the night, meaning that I also avoided the Scotsman. It was a relief to be able to get work done without Ziggler bombarding me with cheesy lines, but it also meant that I wasn’t able to ogle Drew either. Clouds and silver linings I suppose.

I couldn’t get Drew’s soft voice out of my head. He spoke with such a harsh accent but made it sound almost melodious when it wrapped around words. The small interactions we had made my mouth water, the size and look of him made my thighs tighten. He had the look of a life ruiner in all the best ways about him.

I rounded the corner with armfuls of clothes and gear when I head Dolph’s laugh. I backed off into the corner and willed myself to not be seen by the irritating Ohioan. “Man, what more can I do for you? I’m annoying her in every way possible and dropping you in every conversation! Ya know she only reacts when I mention you anyway…”  Dolph faded into background noise as my face started to become redder. Dolph KNEW he was being an annoying kid! But he was doing it for a reason…

I left it for a while before I came out of my hiding place, walking with a purpose towards my destination- with a lot of questions about what I had just heard. Who the hell had he been talking to?

 I got my answer soon enough in the form of Ziggler. From what I had heard, the sweaty orange man had just lost his title and from the defeated sigh and slump into a chair he had lost something else as well. “You’re getting fake tan everywhere Ziggler.” Was my only comment to him. It was odd to see Dolph without his usual bravado about him, and I wanted to feel bad for the title loss but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. He rubbed his hands across his face and looked at me “He’ll kill me for this, but I just lost because of him.”

I raised an eyebrow at the pronoun game, and guessed he was talking about the Scottish Terminator. Dolph leaned forward and shook his hair out of his face. “He likes you. Like, LIKES you. He’s too much of a wimp to say anything.” He smiled sadly at me “I already know you like him too sweetness. I promise I’m not actually this much of an asshat…” He smiled into the distance and stood from the chair. He clapped me on the shoulder as he went past, I had long since stopped folding ring gear into the box. My eyes glazed over and I thought about what Ziggler had said- Drew actually liked me! Me! I smiled to myself, perhaps the awkward McIntyre was explanatory, but it made him adorable to watch me work.

I finished my work for the night with a smile on my face, partly because I was Ziggler free. Mostly because of the secret Dolph had told me, but I was slightly concerned that I hadn’t seen Drew. It was unusual backstage to have one tag partner away from the other in case they made a last minute change to story.

I had been heading out to the car park when I heard him.

“Hey love, ya fancy letting a Scottsman in yer ride?” Drew looked sheepish, his hands stuffed down his front pockets and a few strands of hair hung in his face. I smiled to him and gestured towards the car. He grinned and moved his case towards it. I finished loading up and got in the drivers’ seat, giving him time before I grilled him. I didn’t have time, as Drew had to fold himself into the car to even fit and I burst out laughing. Still chuckling, I reached over his lap and pulled the bar at the side of the chair to slide it backwards for him- Drew had tensed the entire time. I dared to look into his face and dark eyes met my gaze.

I lost my nerve at his look and slowly returned to my seat, starting the car and focusing on driving to the hotel. On the way there I saw Drew look over at me a few times and go to say something, only to purse his lips and look away again. I didn’t want to bring up what Dolph had said, but other than that we hadn’t really spoken before.

We pulled up in the parking lot of the hotel and Drew grabbed the bags from the car while I was checking in. Our rooms were on the same floor. It felt nice walking side by side with Drew, he had this air around him that nobody messed with- he was calm but radiated power. I snuck a peak up at him as we entered the elevator to see he was peeking down at me too. We both laughed and I burned red.

“Drew… What happened with Dolph?” I don’t know what prompted me to suddenly turn so serious, but it tumbled from my mouth before I could stop it. I felt him freeze next to me. He sighed and I ducked my head, wishing I hadn’t said anything to him.

“Ziggler and I… Never really got on. Tha locker room stuff was all we agreed on, and even then my opinion differed.” Drew tucked some hair behind his ears. “He wanted ta be more aggressive. I got tired of being such a bad guy. I still am a bad guy, jus aimed different.” He smiled sadly at me, and I had a feeling that he was giving me the polite version of what happened. I knew that some politics happened backstage, but I was never privy to knowing the details.

Drew’s hand reached out and smoothed my hair out of my face, his fingers lingered on my cheek and I took a breath in. “I kinda want different things now.” My breath stopped altogether at that. There’s no way I could be misreading things, so I went all in.

I had to go on my toes, and even then I wasn’t tall enough to reach his lips- luckily for me he lent down to me and we met halfway. Drew’s beard tickled my face and his lips were a soft contrast to the hair, caressing mine in a dance that saw me loose but I still ended up with his tongue in my mouth. Drew’s hands could completely cover half of my face, but he cradled my head and was so gentle like I was something he was scared to break. The doors opened and we broke the kiss for me to ask one question:

“Your room or mine?”

Drew smiled “Whicheva we get to first.” I grinned back at him and grabbed his hand. Yes I ran down the hall and he barely got past a speed walk with his legs, but I doubt anyone would laugh at us right now. My room appeared first and I thanked God when we came upon it, I was shoving the card in every direction at the lock for it to open while Drew kissed down my neck. “You’re not helping here” I was breathless, and not from the brief sprint.

When the door finally opened, Drew picked me up from behind and carried me into the room- somehow managing to drag the bags in after us. I was thrown on the bed and promptly began to undress. It seemed Drew liked the competition as he raced me to get down to nothing.

I stopped as Drew was taking his trousers off. The man was thicker than a tree and endless apparently. The situation dawned on me, I was about to get into bed with a guy that I had been crushing on for months.

Drew took me in his arms and wrapped himself around me. He kissed me softly and smiled down at me “This’ll only go as far as ya want it.” My own smile turned playful and I stepped closer to him “And how much do you want it Drew?” My smile soon disappeared as he took my hand and placed it over his boxers, onto his cock that did not disappoint. I licked my lips and kissed him. Drew took that as his confirmation and picked me up to put me on the bed.

“Ah, can’t wait to be inside ya” I noticed his accent got thicker the more turned on he was, and suddenly the accent that made me weak in the knees had me wetter than a cup of water. I pulled his face back down to me as he settled between my legs. His tongue explored my mouth and I rose from the bed to meet his hips. Drew started to trail his mouth down my neck and found a particular spot before grinding his hips down into me. The feeling of him made me rake my nails down his back, the moan he let out in reply vibrated through me.

His mouth had made its way down to my chest and his hands could cover the entirety of my small amount of boob to offer. Drew’s tongue circled a nipple whilst his hand massaged the other. I moaned up into his touch when he began to suck on one and my hands ran down to his last article of clothing- I tugged on the waistband.

Drew’s face moved back up to mine and he looked into my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something, and when I met his gaze the entire time he smiled. We rolled apart and stripped the last bits of clothes covering ourselves. My thong had just dropped to the floor when Drew’s arm wrapped around my waist again and dragged me onto the bed.

I landed underneath him and he settled between my legs again. “Ah would love to be slow…” As he spoke he dragged a finger through my folds and made me whimper. “I think we both need this.” He spoke with finality and I reached up to bite his lip. He kissed me with his full force and I felt myself get pushed back into the bed. The fact that he would be in me doing that soon was enough to make me lightheaded.

Drew rolled his hips and guided the tip of his cock in my folds, coating it before he found my entrance. I held my breath. With another roll that screamed experience he pushed inside me. I arched up and moaned in his ear, the feeling of being stretched yet perfectly full made me gasp. No one else had ever felt like this to me. I doubt there had ever been anyone as big as Drew was either. When he was fully in me he groaned and hung his head.

I became impatient underneath him and rocked my hips into his, Drew cursed and began to pump slowly. We both began to moan in tandem as he picked up his pace, our kissed became sloppy and open mouthed. Each time I came out for air his lips found mine to steal it again. Even with all of this going on, I still felt the need to tease.

“Go harder, I’m not going to break Drew.”

I whispered them into his ear and he growled, the look of passion gone from his face. His hands grasped my hips and turned me over onto my stomach. My face was stuffed into the mattress, and before I could say anything, Drew was pounding into me with renewed vigour. Each time he bottomed out my hips were pushed further into the bed, and I could’ve swore at one point I was bowed with the force he put into it.

It wasn’t a surprise that I didn’t last long with the enthusiasm he was putting in, but when I did come it was a shock. I screamed until my throat was sore and it went black behind my eyes. Drew was relentless, not stopping until I went lax on the bed. He stuttered after one thrust and grit out through his teeth “Where do ya want it”. I managed to lift my head and look over my shoulder to whisper “Inside” He grunted his approval and I dropped my head again, my hands gripping the sheets as he continued. I could hear him taking deep breaths now, trying to last longer.

Drew came with a shout and dug his teeth in my shoulder blade, slamming in with finality. I cried out at the feel of his bite and the come slowly spreading into me. Drew’s arms were shaking as he rolled to his side and began to cuddle me from behind. I felt exhausted. Before I could fully drift into sleep I thought would tease him once more. “I could get used to those kind of Glasgow kisses.” I felt him chuckle behind me.

“Aye love, I’ll wake ya up with one.”

[quixtrix]

dolph was always meant to be doomed; something of an analysis

i'm on my third rewatch of captain laserhawk, and on this one i've been focusing more on the little details that you don't get on your first or even second time watching it. i've noticed little things, such as pey'j helping and then going on to shield a hybrid who's dressed similarly to jade in the third episode. but i've also noticed bigger things, such as alex and dolph.

keep in mind that this show is just filled to the brim with political messaging, it was purposefully designed that way. so when someone mentioned on here that alex was an accelerationist, it explained a lot. we don't know much about alex in terms of his backstory, we only know he helped dolph after dolph attempted to mug him and they ended up falling in love. it's also implied that alex and dolph have been repeatedly reported on the news as terrorists more than we've seen, with rayman referring to them as being the usual suspects when the kaiju attack happened, despite dolph literally not even being there when alex did that shit. they're known to do this shit, and we know alex is a charismatic guy. it's not too far fetched to say once or while dolph was falling in love with this gayass white saviour saint that alex talked him into this shit for alex's own purposes. because yes, he has a cause, but he's also a bit in over his head, maybe with power. he's aware of the power he has over dolph, how he actively uses the 'i love you' card multiple times when they're together and when they're not together. he just had a bit too much confidence in his hold over dolph, but to be fair, alex, you were topping some indulgent mob boss for your cause (because let's be honest of course your sources would be tight if they were being fucked for it) then continued fucking said mob boss and got caught with your dick out by your ex who you think you can get back with. alex uses people as tools, he just doesn't put his shit in the right places at the right times.

i'm getting off track, but the point i'm getting to is that alex most definitely saw dolph, a man who clearly has some jacked up eden tech smacked onto his twink ass, at his lowest, and picked him up like a shiny new toy. he was always going to use dolph. but how come dolph is so easy to use? he's starved for kindness. he's the stray dog that comes up to you at restaurants to act all nonchalant because 95% of the time he gets neglected, but the second he gets offered scraps, he shows how hungry he is. we don't know much about his childhood, and what we do know is under the lenses of literal eden propaganda. we do however know how people get like underneath the hand of eden.

everyone say thanks to rayman, who concidentally, is dolph's foil. both of them worked under eden as their lap dogs, one as a propagandist and the other as military, but dolph had gotten out of the hold the propaganda had on him while rayman's barely shaking it off. both of them are also portrayed as poor little tragic immigrants and the impoverished stand ins both in universe and story wise. they're the feel good picking yourself up american dream stories that people can feel inspired by or feel proud about the country with. dolph had a photo with a kid holding a doll of him. before he became ex military, he was definitely the guy they paraded around as a previous lost cause that eden helped. red, who's as political as his assigned colour, bitches about identity politics in that one off line for a reason. he also jus hates brown people fr he kicked me down a flight of stairs

now we can assume that dolph had picked himself up out of the propaganda machine somehow. he realised he was used and he didn't want that shit. he's attempting to get himself his own life, for fucks sake. he jus happened to get lead on by the wrong guy, which then lead him to get used by eden AGAIN. this time not only in a physical way via soldier work, but emotionally too, with sarah easily manipulating him with what? a sob story and helping him out, maybe being friendly with him along the way.

he wants a normal life. he wants a goddamn normal life. he jus continues to be selected as a tool.

you can see how fucking starved he is for kindness. you ever think about the fact that in his dream life, he sees jade and pey'j? he knew these people for less than a week, yet they get a place in his dream life. most notably, jade gets a speaking role in his dream life. the only other person who speaks, besides marcus, is alex, someone who had known him and shown kindness to him. jade has also shown kindness to dolph. she's the friendliest face there in the ghosts, being the first one to check on dolph when he wakes up, offers an explanation to him, and also makes an effort to include him in her little shenanigans with the video and all!! dolph was all emo alpha wolf and all, but despite his constant cold shoulder, she was kind!!

there was someone who was more than kind though; bullfrog. because bullfrog actively looked out for dolph, despite his constant pushback against bullfrogs advice whenever they weren't separated. and in the end, it's bullfrogs kindness and compassion that hits dolph the deepest. dolph gets out of his depressive state to go back for bullfrog. he cares about people, he goes out of his way to do shit for the people who show him the slightest bit of kindness. he backed up sarah after one good conversation with her to marcus for fucks sake. dolph is just a guy who keeps getting used though. he's so loyal to anyone who looks his way that it's a fatal flaw that ends up with his head blown up. he's a shakespearean tragedy at the moment. i hope in the potential season 2 that he gets to have more moments where he gets to be his own person. not defined by an organisation or a person or a cause, but what he chooses to define himself by. he's on his way there. he jus deserves to be allowed to live for himself. after all, he has already met his end of that story. he can make a new one.

anyways if u reached the end of this im down to discuss this :D i also did get a few points from other people on here, but let me know what u think nd all

[djsherriff-responses]

The only way I could think of a way for Ramon to know globox and/or potentially Ly is that the loss and destruction of dimension x was so traumatic it absolutely fucked with his memories. Losing your home in the worse way possible is bound to have horrific consequences on the psyche, and in some cases could even cause permanent memory loss as well or resurface YEARS later. Plus I wouldn't be surprised if the last he saw of the both of them, it was in a way he would've thought they died as well. Coupled with the fact that Ramon is also an alien, no one knows how things work with him either, and since he came at a seemingly young age when the American government was falling apart but still in power, no one wanted to try and help either. This would also explain while mentioning he came from there, he never talks about what dimension x was like before the rabbid invasion , he don't remember shit and his brain is trying to protect him from that. Ngl it would be really interesting if meeting globox and the others again initially do more HARM than good, especially seeing someone they know act so differently than before.

Sorry for the slight rambling but Adi's answers from the tokyopop thing got me thinking of things. Idk if they'll even go down that road, they'll probably go down the friendless background road which also very much has great potential as well.

Gotta say I love the idea of Ramon mind being so messed up he doesn’t even remember his old life, beautiful angst potential right there

If we are going with the route that Ramon did have friends before his life at Eden, then I think it’d make more sense if the destruction of the Glade/Dimension X happened during the events of the second Rayman game, rather then a later game. Like the Rayman timeline split off into the “canon” Rayman who went on to save the glade and the Laserhawk Ramon whose life is an utter mess

Let’s go with the assumption that the games release order is also the order they appear in the Rayman timeline for sanity’s sake, the Rayman series has very little grasp of canon and every game has conflicting information with each other. While I personally don’t think Rayman was a kid in the first game (I think it was a totally different person) I’m just going with that direction for this particular analysis regarding Ramon’s character and his potential parallels with Dolph

(This isn’t actually relevant to anything but I personally dislike the idea of humans being native to the Glade of Dreams, it’s more of a pet peeve than anything else. Having said that I do like the idea of Barbara and her sister existing in the Laserhawk universe)

The second game is the one where Razerbeard destroyed the heart of the world and came the closest of Rayman’s villains to actually beat Rayman. I’m not just suggesting this because Adi brought up Razerbeard , but between Razerbeard and the robo pirates being specifically tech based , much like Eden, in contrast to the glade being strong with nature and them being a far more dangerous and threatening enemy compared to Mr Dark in the first game. (If we’re ignoring what the fandom does, Mr Dark is a cake stealing dork who hired clowns as his minions , a very different tone to what Razerbeard brings to the table) , if any of Rayman’s villains were to be responsible for the destruction of Rayman’s home, it’s most likely Razerbeard’s doing

Actually wouldn’t shock me if the inclusion of the Rabbids in Laserhawk has been a red herring this whole time. Rayman had very little reaction when reporting on the keiju attack, and was quick to argue against Red’s comments regarding aliens despite Red very clearly talking about the Rabbids. Like…… you’d think Rayman wouldn’t be so defensive over Red shit talking the monsters who destroyed his old home…. Unless the Rabbids aren’t the ones responsible for the destruction of dimension x

it’s also worth bringing up that the Rabbids in this universe are keiju, yet in the “Ray of Hope” film they appear much closer to their canon versions. What kind of propaganda purpose does that serve exactly? Everyone knows the Rabbids are giant monsters…. Unless they weren’t always faint monsters and somehow became …. Corrupted?

…… we never do learn what happens to Glade residents when the heart of the world stays destroyed, do we?

Something interesting to bear in mind is that Globox , Ly and various iconic characters such as the Teensies don’t make an appearance in the first game. It’s entirely possible in this remixed universe, the circumstances that lead to Rayman to meeting his friends didn’t happen here, yet the pirate invasion happened regardless.

I wanna bring attention to the fact that Rayman is a kid in the first game, and most likely still a child when the robot pirates invaded. If you take the origins trailer as some form of fact regarding Betilla being responsible for his creation , then it’s not far fetched to suggest Rayman was a born to be the protector of the glade of dreams

Yes, Rayman and Dolph are both child soldiers. It just possible in this universe, Rayman was a failed child soldier whereas Dolph succeeded at his duty (until he left the army)

@levy120 actually did some fantastic speciation fanfics before the Laserhawk series came out and the assumption was Rayman was going to be evil. While we know now that isn’t the case for Rayman’s character, I still think that it’s worth checking out

side note but I love the idea of the fairy council/glade of dreams government being sketchy as hell and Rayman being somewhat of a pawn to them. Rayman has a lot more freedom and it’s not Eden levels of awful, but it’s still sketchy

[hazyheel]

WWE Monday Night Raw 9/16/19 Review

Well, this episode was certainly bad. There was a whole bunch of stupid soap opera stuff in the middle that honestly made this show feel like a cold shit. I normally say that Raw was decent or fine or boring, but I can safely say that this was a real bad one. But it wasn’t without it’s diamonds in the rough. So, if you’re willing to swim through the crap that is the rest of my review, then here it is. If you’re not, then Corey Graves would call you a beta cuck. 

Seth Rollins Promo: Rollins came on out and recapped Clash of Champions. He said that it was neither his nor Strowman’s fault for losing the Raw Tag Team Championships. Then he put Strowman over hard by describing how much it took to keep him down. He then talked about how the Fiend attacked him, and officially accepted his challenge for Hell in a Cell. Wyatt then came on the Titantron, in his usual creepy Firefly Funhouse. Rollins told him that he was messed up and needed help, when Ramblin Rabbit told Rollins that he didn’t know what he was dealing with, and told him to run, before Wyatt punched him. Wyatt then told Rollins that the Fiend does not forget anyone, and maybe he will appear again tonight. As Wyatt signed off, and said “see you in hell.” The music continued to play. 

Grade: B+. I thought this was just shy of great. I loved the inclusion of Ramblin Rabbit, whose storyline I’m honestly more invested in than the Kevin Owens/ Shane McMahon feud. Wyatt was perfectly creepy and threatening, and Rollins looked genuinely concerned about someone attacking him from behind. Rollins is treating Wyatt like a threat, and it was awesome. The more he is treated like a monster, the more he will be perceived as one. If they keep this up, this will be a great feud. Highlight of the night. 

Also, before the next segment, they ran down the card for later on, but the graphics were upside down the entire time. Renee Young pointed it out, which was funny. 

Braun Strowman interview: Strowman said that the only reason he was here was that he was pissed, and would beat up whoever was in in the ring next. 

Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode promo: I guess this was some sort of a summit, because the Revival showed up right away as well. Roode put himself and Ziggler over for winning the tag team championships so soon after becoming a team. However, as they were talking, Braun Strowman came out. The Revival attacked him in the aisle, but he tossed them around with ease. Stromwan then cleared the ring. Roode was actually able to get out of the way unscathed. 

Grade: C. I wasn’t a huge fan of this, because I don’t see what it did. I still don’t know where Strowman will go from here, and he beat down three of the four tag team champions. In terms of action it was fine and kinda exciting, but I don’t really know where this is going. I’m not going to rate it lower because this could be the start of the story, but right now I don’t know what is happening. 

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross backstage: They kinda made fun of both Mandy Rose and Sasha Banks. They then put over their tag team titles, and said that they are very important, sorta as a counter to Banks crapping all over them a few weeks ago. That was it. 

Cedric Alexander & The Viking Raiders vs. The OC: AJ Styles started things out with Alexander, and the two layed into each other in the corner right then the match started. Alexander tagged in Erik, who kneed Styles in the face, before Styles tagged out to Karl Anderson. The Viking Raiders then teamed up on him a bit, but Luke Gallows quickly tagged in to duel with Erik. Erik was then beaten down by the OC after Styles threw him into the barricade. Ivar got the hot tag after the commercial break and beat down the whole OC. Alexander then nailed a springboard clothesline to Anderson for a near fall. However, Styles then tagged in, nailed him with the Phenomenal forearm to win the match.

After the match, the OC continued the attack. Ivar destroyed Anderson, Gallows and Erik with a senton off the top. Styles then went for something on Alexander off the top, but Alexander met him there. Alexander went for a rana, but Styles caught him and nailed the Styles Clash off the second rope. 

Grade: C+. Fine match with fine action. But this didn’t really forward much of a storyline other than the Viking Raiders vs. The Good Brothers, which will have to happen eventually. Styles pinned Alexander again, so that feud is done, and we will need a new challenger for Styles. But this match didn’t really do a bunch for me and was too short to really get going. It ended as it was picking up, so not awesome. 

24/7 shenanigans: Truth and Carmella visited the Women’s basketball hall of fame. Truth joked a bunch, it was funny. Then Kane showed up, because they are in Tennessee. They joked about it, but turns out Kane wasn’t in character. He just called himself Glenn Jacobs, and offered Truth a tour around. This is not over!

Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable in the finals of the 2019 King of the Ring: this was done up all pretty with official announcing and such, but it was still on in the first hour. As things started up, Gable tried to go for some technical exchanges, which Corbin was having none of. Gable eventually forced his way to the mat, and tried to power up Corbin for some suplexes, but he couldn’t get him up and took control away. The two fought to the outside, and Gable charged at Corbin, only to eat a huge back body drop into the timekeeper’s area. When we came back to the ring, Gable barely beat a countout. Corbin continued to absolutely destroyed Gable with strikes, including a huge big boot to stifle a comeback. At one point, Gable locked in an armbar over the ropes, but Gable just picked him up and powerbombed him back into the ring. Gable did a great job of selling the fact that he was desperate, and at one point was able to pick the ankle, only for Corbin to post himself. Gable then followed up with a missile dropkick, and several running flip kicks, until Corbin popped him up into a slam for a near fall. Corbin then took the fight to the outside, where Gable dodged a shoulder tackle that sent Corbin into the steel steps. Gable then rolled Corbin into the ring and started to target the leg a bit, only for Corbin to stop him dead in his tracks with a deep six for a near fall. Corbin then went for his around the post clothesline, but Gable dodged it and nailed the Chaos Theory, only for Corbin to kick out. They then scrambled a bit, with Gable baely able to pick the ankle. There was a tense submission sequece, with table even locking up the leg, only for Corbin to still force the break. They then battled a bit in the corner, and Gable went for a running flip kick again, only for Corbin to twirl him around his body and hit the End of Days for the win.

After the match, Corbin posed near the throne. They didn’t even give him time to put on the props. 

Grade: B. It almost made it to a B+, but I couldn’t get it there. There wasn’t enough back and forth early on in the match for it to get there, but the finish was really really good. Gable had just enough comebacks to keep things interesting. Corbin beat him down at every turn, so those moments when he nearly won were really good. The Chaos Theory looked awesome, and the ankle lock actually got me a bit. And of course that tilt a whirl finish looked super cool, so I can’t complain. Corbin did a good job in this tournament, so all hail King Corbin. 

Maria Kanellis Gender Reveal party: The Street Profits were hosting this for some reason. Maria said it was a boy, and then that it was Ricochet’s. Ricochet did some sitcom BS to not actually confirm that the kid isn’t his. Mike Kanellis slapped him and challenged him to a match. Then Titus O’Neil and the Street Profits made a bunch of sex jokes. This was stupid but kinda funny.

Mike Kanellis vs. Ricochet: Ricochet was a bit apprehensive about fighting Kanellis, but Kanellis insisted. Ricochet then beat him down with all of his signature offense and won with Recoil. 

Grade: D+. What was this? Why Was this? Who decided they should do this? And for a nothing filler match? They could’ve taken the time from the party and added it to the match to give them some time for a nice match. I’m giving this a pretty low grade, but no F or anything because I did think it was kinda funny, although ultimately pointless. Ricochet is a dad, and I’m sure Kacy Catanzaro is thrilled. 

Firefly Funhouse: Bray Wyatt put up pictures of all the people that he destroyed as the Fiend, and then left the Funhouse. Ominous. 

Maria Kanellis being mean to Mike: After the commercial, Maria came out and yelled at Mike a whole bunch in an attempt to motivate him. She said that Ricochet wasn’t the father, but it was Rusev. So this was Rusev’s big return. Mike tried to stop him from beating his ass, and just congratulated him and tried to run away. Rusev ran him down and kicked his ass. Also, Corey Graves called Kanellis a beta cuck. 

Mike Kanellis vs. Rusev: Rusev hit the Machka kick, and tapped Kanellis out to the Acolayde. During this time, Michael Cole was being a dick to Renee Young about her mentioning the match was underway, and she said she was mansplaining. 

Grade: F. Yeah, this was only funny because the commentators had to talk about this as it was happening. Rusev is married, which is something that they actually mentioned on commentary, and this is the worst story for him to come back to. Why did Mike need to lose twice? Ugh, I hope to God he goes back down to NXT, because while this was funny all around him, all the stuff with him in it was just sad. Even Michael Cole called him a loser. This is bad

24/7 Shenanigans cont: Truth and Jacobs visited a football stadium. They talked a bit, and Truth was being dumb and weird. A cop then popped up, but turns out he was a ref. Truth tried to run away, and ran right into the goal post. Glenn Jacobs pinned him and won the championship. Pretty funny, but this was a crazy ass second hour. 

Rey Mysterio vs. Cesaro: Before the match started, Cesaero crapped on Mysterio’s kid, and they brawled a bit. Cesaro was absolutely beating down Mysterio for a while after showing some great offense, and we cut to commercial in the middle of it. Cesaro continued to destroy Rey, and at one time caught Mysterio out of a 619 and dropped Mysterio on his knee for a near fall. Mysterio then hit the 619, and tried for a flying rana to close things out, but Cesaro caught him, only for Mysterio to hit a sunset flip powerbomb for the win. 

Grade: B-. Above average B- match, but there wasn’t a lot of back and forth for me. The action was still good enough to be a positive, but I was mostly just happy to have a good match after all that crap. 

Firefly Funhouse again: Bray put up Rollins’ picture, and things were creepy. 

AOP Video Package: It’s sure as hell been a while since they’ve been shown on TV. They demanded competition, called the WWE Tag Division soft, and threatened to take the opportunities that were owed to them. They need a mouthpiece.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks: Bayley and Bliss started things out, and Bliss quickly took control by giving Bayley and Banks a somersault sneton to the outisde, seeming to irritate her leg. Cross soon tagged in and got beat up. As she was about to tag Bliss, Bayly dragged Bliss off the apron and started to viciously assault her leg. Bliss looked to be very hurt, but then they cut to commercial. As we came back from commercial, Cross was desperately fighting a two on battle, and looking pretty good as she did. She was absolutely wild in her offense, and was actually able to beat down the champions by herself for a bit. Bayley fought back against her foe, but Cross refused to let up. Cross even hit a hangman’s swinging neckbreaker on Bayley, but Banks broke it up. Banks then tagged herself in and locked in the Bank Statement for the win. 

After the match, Banks was going to beat down Cross with a chair, but Becky Lynch ran down to make the save. Her and Banks fought with the chairs, until Bayley ran in to help Banks. Charlotte then showed up, and Bayley ran at her, only to eat a big boot and some chair shots. Back in the ring, Lynch gave Banks some chair shots, and Charlotte and Lynch stood tall together, but warily.

Grade: C. This was an odd match, with Bliss being carted out in the middle for an injury that may or may not be legit. But Cross looked pretty good fighting alone, but it was pretty much just a random match to give Lynch someone to save. Also, if the Boss n’ Hug connection don’t get a match for the Tag Team Titles, then I will riot. They beat the champions, they get a shot. 

Sasha Banks Backstage:  She just said that she challenges Lynch to a rematch at Hell in Cell. They didn’t confirm the stip, but it’ll probably be a Hell in a Cell. 

24/7 Shenanigans: Glenn Jacobs got out of a limo, and Truth hopped off the top of the limo and pinned him. Then they talked about how Monday Night Raw was Jacobs’ home, and they walked in together. 

Becky Lynch backstage: Lynch said that Banks wanted a fight, but she wasn’t willing to step her game up. So Lynch escalated things, and challenged her to a Hell in a Cell match. Super into this, very excited. 

Lacy Evans vs. Dana Brooke: Evans attacked before the bell, which made Brooke super mad so they beat into each other. Evans quickly fought back into the match and hit some of her signature offense. Evans quickly hit the Woman’s Right, but she didn’t make the pin. Instead, she locked in the sharpshooter, and called out Natalya as she did. Brooke tapped out.

Grade: C+. Squash squash squash. Loved to see Brooke though!

Robert Roode vs. Seth Rollins: The two started out with some chain wrestling, before picking things up. Rollins destroyed Roode with a series of fast paced strikes and kicks, but Roode took him down with a vicious knee to the gut. At one point, Rollins was going to go for a suicide dive, but Ziggler hopped up on the apron to stop him. However, that didn’t half Rollins’ momentum, until Roode gave Rollins a forearm to the outside, and then Ziggler hit him with one of his own to give Roode control. Roode continued to maintain control, until Rollins countered a spinebuster into a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. In the finish, Rollins slipped out of a superplex to deliver a buckle bomb, superkick to the stomach, and then a stomp, only for Ziggler to break it up and give Rollins the win by DQ. 

Rollins and Ziggler brawled after the match, when the OC all ran down to help in the beatdown. He ate a magic killer, a Styles Clash and a Superkick. Then they continued to stomp on him, but Kane came out and beat everyone down. He gave Gallows and Anderson and Styles chokeslams. But after he cleared the ring, the lights slowly went out, the Fiend showed up once again and took Kane down with the mandible claw. Then he cradled a basically unconscious Rollins. The show ended with a demonic and long rendition of the Firefly Fun House song.

Grade: B. The match was good, not really spectacular. But the post match beatdown was fun, and Bray Wyatt showing up to beat down Kane was great. This is what should’ve happened last week with Austin and Taker. Cradling Rolllins was super creepy, and then a rendition of the Firefly Fun House Song to close it out. A hell of a way to close out Raw. 

Overall Grade: C

Pros: opening promo; KOTR final; main event

Cons: Random Strowman attack; all the baby stuff; women’s tag; 

[handsupinthebalorclub]

Anagapesis (chapter 2)

pairing: the shield x reader

word count: 3,640

summary: Anagapesis (n.) no longer feeling any affection for something or someone you once loved. After three years, you’re officially the manager of the Shield once again. But, things aren’t quite the same as they used to be.

warnings: cursing, mentions of betrayal and trust issues

a/n: this chapter sucks so I firmly apologize and I’ll do my best to make chapter three better 

chapter one / chapter two / chapter three / chapter four

Your (eye color) eyes focused on the laptop screen in front of you, which displayed a clip from the August 14th, 2017 episode of Raw. For the past hour, you had been trying to piece together what had happened in your absence. Prior to your involvement in the Shield reunion, you had heard a lot about the small interactions the three men had before Dean and Seth’s tag team reign. But, you had never brought yourself to see it with your own eyes. Well, until now.

Dean stood in the center of the ring with Seth. Seth stood confidently, a microphone in his hand as he addressed the elder man.

“When I take the fight to the Miz, and I will, brother. Will you be standing in my way? Or will you be standing by my side? That’s all I want to know.”  Dean took a second to survey the crowd, who had launched into a chorus of ‘Yes’ chants,  with a look of disbelief. His grip tightened on the steel chair in his hand before he had turned back to Seth.

“I’m-I’m sorry. Did you just say brother?” Dean scoffed.

Seth automatically recoiled when he heard this.

“C’mon you know I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Brother? I ain’t your brother.” Dean took a step back, anger now evident. “My brothers were in the Shield.”

Seth opened his mouth to retaliate, but it seemed as if he was at a loss for words. Once Dean saw he wasn’t going to say anything, he continued.

“My brothers fought with me in the trenches. I trusted my brothers!”

“How many times-” Seth held up a hand to stop Dean, but he just kept going.

“My brothers stood for something!” Dean took a step closer to Seth, maintaining strong eye contact. “You? I don’t know you.”

The expression of Seth’s face switched. You wanted to say that the look was regret, but you weren’t quite sure.

“I mean, I knew a guy who looked like you once. He was a liar. A cheater, the kind of guy to stab his brothers and sister in the back. That guy took a chair,” Dean held up the metal chair that was in his grasp. “Just like this one and stabbed it right through my back, and right through my heart.” “And that was over three years ago! And you know what? I’m sorry!” Seth yelled before he took a step back and tried to calm himself down.

Dean only smiled, happy with the reaction he had earned from The Architect.

You had thought about pausing the video in this moment, your mind racing at the words Seth had just said. But, you powered through and decided to continue watching. Back on the screen, Seth raised a finger and prodded the air between him and Dean.

“And I never said that before, so I’ll say it again. I’m sorry, alright?” He stared down Dean as the WWE Universe cheered. “If you think I forgot about that, I live with that every single day of my life! I remember that, but do you know what else I remember? I remember you and I tearing each other apart inside of Hell in a Cell!”

“I remember you,” he pointed to Dean before continuing. “Cashing in your Money In the Bank contract and beating me for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. But all that, all that, everything we’re talking about- that’s in the past. This is the then and now. I’ve moved on! What is it going to take for you to move on man?”

The two men looked at each other, Seth obviously waiting for an answer. Dean scratched the back of his neck and began to pace around the ring. He rested his hands onto the crimson robes to collect himself, then walked back over to Seth.

“Y’know, I see your lips moving. But I don’t hear nothing.” Seth looked around the ring, done with his ex-brother’s claims.

“Alright, alright.” He looked at the chair in Dean’s hands before hitting it with the back of his hand. “You got that...you got that little chair right there in your hand.” Seth re-positioned himself so his back was facing towards Dean. “Do it. No, do it! Hit me! If that’s what’s going to make you feel better, hit me!” He spread his arms out wide and gave Dean the opportunity to strike, like Seth had done to Dean all of those years ago.

A shiver rushed down your spine as you looked at the laptop, very curious what Dean would do. You honestly expected him to take the chair shot, all of the pent up anger from the betrayal rising to the surface. Dean pocketed his microphone and took a step back, raising the chair with one hand. Seth began to get restless.

“Do it right now! Hit me, damn it!” Seth threw his microphone onto the mat below and went into a T pose once again.

This is when everything changed. To your surprise, Dean threw the metal chair out of the ring, a smile on his face as he did so. You sat there, dumbfounded as Seth looked towards Dean in surprise. You were about to watch more, but the sound of the hotel door being pushed open made you pause the video and take out your headphones. When you looked towards the door, there Roman stood with his hair in a bun and his clothes practically drenched in sweat.

You didn’t know what the three men did travel wise before you were thrown back into the group, but you decided to revert them back to the format that was set up before the incident. It was a rotating system, where each person would be paired with someone they would share a hotel room with for that week, despite wherever the brand had traveled to. Thankfully, Roman offered to be paired with you first for obvious reasons, which left the other two men to share a room.

Once he had entered the room, Roman didn’t speak until he had made his way over to the bed he had claimed earlier on in the morning and sat down on the edge of it.

“Whatcha up to, babygirl?” He asked.

“Nothing, just worked on the schedules for a little bit. How was the gym?” You lied, not wanting to admit to Roman that you had spent your time watching old pre-reunion videos.

“Good. I have a feeling I’ll be super sore later though.” Roman replied. Before he had left, he had asked if you wanted to join him in a workout, but you politely turned down the offer. You were never really the gym type, despite the profession and people you surround yourself with. Sure, sometimes you had gone on early morning jogs with Seth in the past or occasionally accompanied the members of the New Day when they worked out, but you yourself had never been an insanely active person.

Roman got up from his seat and traveled over to the dresser. He pulled out a new outfit then turned back to you.

“Do you need the bathroom before I take a shower?”

“Nah, go ahead.” You shook your head while replying and watched as he vanished into the bathroom. Once he was out of sight, you brought yourself to spin the chair back so it was facing the desk and open your laptop once again. Instead of continuing the video, you reopened the spreadsheet that withheld the Shield schedules that had been abandoned when you started your research.

* * *

“Ro!” You grunted as you watched Roman walk in front of the television. He casted you a look of confusion and looked towards what was on the tv.

“Since when have you cared about Breezedango or The Ascension? Why are you even watching Smackdown?” He teased once he noticed what was being displayed.

“Tyler and Fandango are actually really cool once you get to know them.” You shrugged before a chuckle escaped your lips from a comment Tyler Breeze had made about The Ascension's many fashion violations. “Plus, the New Day guys put in our group text that I should watch their match. Something about unicorns? I don’t know. Whatever supports them, I guess.”

“You guys have a group chat?”

“It’s mostly reserved for memes, but we talk normally in it occasionally.”

Roman looked at you strangely before picking up his wallet from the desk. Your eyes darted towards the television to catch Viktor knee strike Fandango into the ropes. Once Fandango managed to get the upper hand once more, you brought yourself to look at Roman again.

“Are you about to head out?”

“Yeah. Are you sure you don’t want to come?” The house show wasn’t until the next day, which gave you guys the night off. Roman, Dean, and Seth had planned on the car ride to Arizona that they were going to spend their night bar hopping. Roman offered for you to come, and you considered it up until the situation that had occurred with Dean.

“I’m sure. Have fun though, alright? Don’t get too drunk.”

Roman nodded then checked his phone, which happened to just buzz at that moment.

“Alright, I’m leaving.” He took a step forward before gazing at the television, then over to you. “Can I walk across here without being killed?”

“Go ahead,” You rolled your eyes at his comment. “Bye.”

“Catch ya later.”

When Roman exited the hotel room, you put your focus back onto the match.

After approximately two matches later, the announcers handed the show off to Renee Young, who had a scheduled interview with none other than your previous client, Dolph Ziggler. You debated on muting the television for this segment and finding something else to do until the New Day match, but your curiosity got the best of you.

“Dolph,” Renee addressed the blonde man next to her. “Last night your manager, y/n l/n, made it clear that she was back with the Shield. Does this mean that you’ll be going out to fight Baron Corbin alone tonight?”

“Sadly, yes. We stayed up late the other night talking about it, actually. She didn’t want to go at first, thought it wouldn’t be safe for a number of reasons.”

You looked at the television with a look a disgust at the lies Dolph was spewing.

“And those were…?” Renee wondered.

“Ambrose is a handful and being his manager instantly translates to being his handler. Reigns has a giant target on his back constantly, which puts her in danger. And Rollins...do I even have to explain? C’mon, how can you be the Hounds of Justice when you’re the ones spreading the injustice?” There was a pause before he smiled towards the camera and continued.

“Anyway, she was apprehensive. But, I talked her into switching. Not as a client, but as a friend. It’s what’s probably best for her career. I’ll miss her just as much as she misses me.”

You picked up the remote and muted the television. 

“Fuck you, Dolph.”

* * *

You smiled lightly as The New Day busted out into their iconic celebratory dances. They had just won their match against the Usos and you were quite impressed with their performance. Not because of the unicorn entrance that Xavier had previously mentioned in the group chat, but rather their comradery. You had always admired how in sync they were both in and out of the ring, but you thought they took that to new heights that night. Especially with how smoothly they had pulled off the Double Midnight Hour. Overall, you were really proud of them not just as their past manager, but also as a friend.

This was around the time that you remembered that there was a drink vending machine down the hall and being quite thirsty, you decided to check it out. You turned off the television and stood up, making sure you had everything before you exited the room. You traveled down the hallway and stopped in front of the black container that held a variety of different drinks.

After retrieving your drink of choice, you returned to your hotel room. You put your hand into your pocket to retrieve the keycard, only to figure out that you had left it on the night table.

“Fuck.” You grumbled to yourself. The thought of calling Roman and asking him to drive back to let you in popped in your head but you didn't want to bother him. From prior experience, the typical Shield bar hop could last from anywhere from four to six hours and they had only been gone for about an hour and a half at this point.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for another idea to pop into your mind. You grabbed your phone and went through your contacts until a familiar name popped up onto the screen. You hit the call button and patiently waited for Finn to pick up.

“Hey, y/n.” He spoke after the phone rang twice.

“Hey, Finn. Are you up to anything important right now?” You leaned against the hallway wall.

“No, not really. Why? What’s up?”

“Long story short, I locked myself out of the hotel room and Roman’s out right now. Do you mind me hanging out with you until he comes back?”

You heard Finn softly laugh at your mistake, which made you pout.

“Or you could just sit there and laugh. I could always just sit in the lobby.”

“I’m sorry, y/n. It’s just that’s such a rookie mistake. You’ve been traveling for how many years now?”

“Alright, I see your point.” You allowed a small laugh to escape your lips.

“But to answer your question, sure. I’m in room C21.”

“Thanks, Finn. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

With that, you hung up the phone and placed it into your pocket. It wouldn’t take long to find his room, since you were already on the C floor.

After going to the complete other end of the hallway, where C21 was located, you raised your fist and knocked lightly on the door. There was some shuffling sounds from behind the door before it opened to reveal Finn.

“Hey, come on in.” He took a step back to allow you into the hotel room. You gladly entered, expecting his room to be a carbon copy of your own. But, you were fairly surprised to see that instead of occupying two beds like your room did, his own occupied one.

You moved further into the room and took a seat onto the bed, Finn following in succession after he had shut the door.

“So, how has everything been going?”

The way your face instinctively dropped must have said it all, because Finn looked at you with sad eyes.

“That bad, huh?”

You took a deep breath and then went into explaining everything. You mentioned all of the little things that had happened since your last conversation with Finn in the gorilla. Dean’s small comments, Seth hugging you after the match, your confrontation with Dean in the hall, how tense the car ride to Arizona was, and last but not least: Dolph’s down-right lies to the WWE Universe.

“It’s like when it rains, it pours. I swear, the only good things that have come out of this so far is being an official manager again, still being close with Roman, and being on the same brand with you.” You sighed.

“Well, sounds like you could use a distraction from all of this.” Finn stood up and made his way over to the desk. He grabbed the remote before turning back to you, a smile on his face. “How about some Netflix and chill?”

You know Finn didn’t mean it a lewd way, but you couldn’t help but bust out into laughter at his words.

“Finn….sweetie…that’s not what that means!”

Finn scratched the back of his neck with a flustered look on his face. His reaction only made you laugh harder.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” In the matter of seconds, a teasing look came across his face. “Or did I?”

You scrunched up your nose then raised your hands, signaling that you wanted him to throw you the remote.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just find a movie or something.”

* * *

Slowly, you opened your eyes and tried to adjust to the lighting of the room. It took you a few seconds to fully wake up and process why you weren’t in your hotel room, but eventually you realized that you had fell asleep at Finn’s. 

“Good morning.”

You looked towards Finn, who was sitting in an armchair on the other side of the room. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and had already changed into casual clothes.

“Morning.” You sat up and grabbed your phone off the night side table. You tried to turn it on, but realized it was dead. “What time is it?” You asked Finn.

He looked at the watch on his wrist before answering.

“Ten twenty.”

You stretched and swung your legs over the side of the bed.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

Ten was considered quite late for WWE talent. Most did their workouts in the morning or had other things to attend to. When you acted as the manager of both the Shield and the New Day, you were up by seven most mornings to make sure everything was in line or to answer emails. Being Dolph’s valet involved less productive mornings, but you had already developed the habit of being up early.

“I thought that you could use the extra sleep.” Finn quickly decided to further explain himself with how bad the first sentence sounded. “I mean, since you’ve been under a lot of stress.”

“Ah, okay. Thanks, then. Having a little extra shut eye was kind of nice. But, I should probably go back to my own room now.” You collected all of your items and stood up. You moved across the room and gave Finn a quick hug. “Thank you for letting me stay here!”

“No problem, see you tonight at the house show?”

“I’ll make a time slot for my favorite Irishman.”

“Sheamus wouldn’t be happy if he heard that.” Finn smirked, knowing quite well that your friendship with the previously mentioned wrestler was practically nonexistent.

“Bye, Finn.” You laughed before ducking out of the room and entering the hallway.

* * *

You blinked in confusion when Seth had opened the door to your hotel and not Roman. Seth seemed to be equally confused, but stepped backwards to allow you in nonetheless. Your perplexity only grew when you realized he and Dean were the only two in the room.

“Where have you been?” Dean asked, standing up from his seated position in the office chair.

“I locked myself out of the hotel room last night so I went to Finn’s until Roman got back but I fell asleep.” You answered, not liking the thick tension that coated the room.

Seth was standing behind you with his arms crossed and a small smile on his lips.

“Finn? As in Finn Balor? Since when are you close to him?”

Like most things Seth said, you decided to ignore his comment and put your focus on Dean.

“Where’s Roman?”

“Out looking for you. He came back last night and got worried because you weren’t here. Tried calling, texting-the whole shebang. Eventually he decided to just go out and find you. He thought that someone like the Wyatt’s took you.” He responded coldly.

Your eyes darted to the floor as your thoughts jumbled. It took you a second to recompose yourself, the presence of both Seth and Dean making you revert back to your previous expression.

“My phone died,” You said. “I didn’t mean to worry him.”

“Yeah, well. You did. I guess I’ll go find him now and tell him you’re alright.” Dean pushed past you and left the hotel room. You let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through your hair.

“Dean was worried more than he lets on.”

You visibly jumped at the sound of Seth’s voice. You had honestly forgot that he was still in the room. You turned around to face him with a ‘yeah right’ look on your face.  

“What? It’s true,” Seth’s half-smile transformed into a look of innocence. “he wanted to go out there and bash some skulls in to find you. But, Roman decided it would be the best for him to stay here so we could avoid any unneeded brawls.”

You tried to reflect upon his words, but another thought popped into your head before you could fully process them.

This was your first time completely alone with Seth since that night.

You instinctively took a step away from the male and wrapped your arms around yourself. Your breathing started to become shallower, but you tried your best to hide it. You debated on kicking him out of the room, but a questioned replayed in the back of your brain.

“And you, Rollins? Why did you wait around for me?”

Seth shrugged, taken back from the question.

“Someone needed to keep Dean in line and make sure he didn’t kill anyone.” He paused for a split second. “Plus, I care about you.”

Your breath caught in your lungs and you quickly gestured towards the door.

“Well, as you can see...I’m alive and well. So you can leave now. This probably interfered with your morning workout and we don’t want you pulling anything tonight at the house show.”  

Seth casted you a weird look but made his way to the exit.

You had heard enough lies within the last twenty-four hours.

tag list: 

@scuzmunkie / @alyj12 / @letshaveadepressingtime / @theroyalbrownbarbie / @shieldgallover / @nikora3010 / @zombiewerewolfqueen / @insaneship / @sausagefest1996 

if you would like to be added or removed to the taglist, please send me a message! 

[andymull]

WWE Survivor Series 2018 - Preview & Predictions

Brock Lesnar © vs Daniel Bryan ©: Non Title Match

A match we thought we’d never see, or didn’t really want as we don’t need Bryan being suplexed on his neck a lot……..sorry but yeah.

Should be fun for what it is with nothing really on the line here, Id love to see a super serious heel Daniel Bryan like his past ROH character, just take it to Lesnar hard with elbows/forearms/kicks/stomps with his ultimate aim in wearing down the beast’s arm or neck (hey I want him to bring back cattle mutilation) for a submission victory.

I really hope Brock is looking at this match in a fun way giving him the opportunity to show off his wrestling skills against a great, and not having to rely on all the big power moves like normal, make this about the challenge and one upping each other to give the fans something really fresh for a change.

The finish here, like most on the show, doesn’t really matter and is more of thinking of ways to avoid burying champions in defeat. I originally had Styles coming out in anger at dropping the title to cause the finish, but if we get the serious challenge I mentioned it wouldn’t make the loser look too bad in defeat as the appreciation shown between the two would be evident and would gain a respect from the viewers easy. I didn’t see anyway that Lesnar wouldn’t go over, but to be honest him losing to Bryan doesn’t mean much to him as he still walks away with his title, while Bryan walks away with some major momentum to SD live – BRYAN

Ronda Rousey © vs Charlotte: Non Title Match

Sadly, not the match we wanted in Rousey/Lynch but outside factors dictated the change with injury, so, the proposed Wrestlemania main event gets brought earlier in the schedule and rushed into tonight. I went from wanting Ronda to lose her undefeated streak to Becky tonight to wanting Rousey to destroy Charlotte with ease and spend the final few minutes of time she has calling out Becky even more on the mic.

My interest level in Charlotte is low, I don’t dig her as a face or love her ringwork that much, but she is still a good talent to be in there with Ronda and get something great from her.

This bout is probably confusing and worrying management backstage in how they book it, they wanted this for the Mania main event potentially, but now have had to rush into it for a one-off match that may not be going anywhere else for a long time. The finish should be a very strong win for Rousey while hyping the Becky match more with Charlotte being a far off focus sadly, but I doubt they want to treat Flair that way just incase they change their minds and go back to it for Mania if Becky cools off big time by then. But still they HAVE to go with the long-term plans here and have Ronda go over – ROUSEY

Seth Rollins © vs Shinsuke Nakamura ©: Non Title Match

Such an awesome match on tap here with hardly any chat building it, no stakes on the line no benefits for the winner………..but who cares its going to be great!! – NAKAMURA

Mickie James, Nia Jax, Nattie, Tamina & Ruby Riot vs Carmella, Asuka, Naomi, Sonya Deville & ?: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

The ? was the original spot of Charlotte for the show but she was moved upto the Rousey matchup leaving a spot available here, so why not look at the alternatives available for it first. The Iconics, Lana, Mandy Rose or Zelina Vega are seemingly the options left if we ignore the Paige rumours as of late, and out of those its gotta be between Mandy and the Iconics for the spot with Mandy leading  with Sonya already in the match.

Now onto the match……..yeah this looks pretty awful doesn’t it, with the likes of Ember, Sasha and Bayley not on the show while Tamina is this becomes more confusing and less desirable to watch.

Lets go for a Raw team win, and to give the match an interesting edge has the survivors be Nattie and Ruby. Let them despise each other but have to work together…..and do so well, to take the victory and add more to their feud ............Or they could remove Nattie AND Ruby on the kick off show and mess my thoughts up lol – RAW

Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, Shane McMahon, The Miz & Rey Mysterio: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

At leas there’s something in terms of stakes here for someone, Braun winning gets him Corbin then Lesnar, but even if he loses I’m sure he’ll still get Corbin then Lesnar so oh well lol

Some great depth here compared to the women’s elimination match and with some time and clever booking it should be a fun match as well.

In terms of winners I would have gone for Raw, but, on Raw the other week Steph mentioned how they had won two years in a row over SD Live and really that should have had a red flashing light pop up on screen the moment she said it – SD LIVE

Buddy Murphy © vs Mustafa Ali: Cruiserweight Title Match

Now this should be another awesome match with Ali defeating Tony Nese to gain this opportunity, and after the No DQ match they had earlier in the year this could be great and trouble other matches to get near it. No title change yet but Ali will take him to the limit – MURPHY

Authors of Pain (AOP) © vs The Bar ©: Non Titles Match

I swear they’ve put this match together for the sole reason of having Big Show and Maverick face off at ringside, that’s it, as for match quality Cesaro is in for a major challenge to get something good going here, fingers crossed – AOP

10 vs 10 Traditional Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination Match: Kick-off Show

Could we not squeeze some more people into this……

The best thing about this match was the graphic they had before this weeks SD Live, all the Raw teams were announced with only The Uso’s and The New Day on there so far for team SD Live, and really the SD live team would have won with those teams only – SD LIVE

A heavy show in terms of the number of people being used, not sure we will get the best finishes for the main matches, but at the same time I hope that leads to more feuds being set up or strengthened because of run ins/DQ’s. And with poor finishes it may lead to them having to inject a major angle or two to try and cover for them with the crowd in attendance.

I hope everyone enjoys and fingers crossed we see some NXT call ups very soon……. Just saying

Bye for now Andy

[thesffcorner]

Aquaman

Aquaman is directed by James Wan and it’s the adaptation of the eponymous DC comics superhero. It follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the son of Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and a lighthouse keeper (Temuera Morrison), as he is sought out by Princess Mera (Amber Heard) to stop his half-brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson) from plunging Atlantis and the surface world into war.

For this review, I want to switch things up, so instead of my usual rundown of the worldbuilding, plot and characters I want to talk about the different aspects of the filmmaking, because where this film rises and falls are exactly these elements. So let’s start with what the film does really right which is the

Direction:

James Wan as a director is better knows for his horror work, with films such as Dead Silence, Insidious, the Conjuring, and Saw; to date he has only directed one other action film, Furious 7. I was already impressed with his work there, especially in the fight scenes and big action set pieces, but his directorial skill is on a whole other level here, helped greatly by the excellent visual effects and character and environment design. Atlantis as well as its various inhabitants are a perfect mix of ancient and futuristic, and alien and human, making the time we spend underwater visually stunning.

There are so many incredibly creative and clever shots, especially the transitions between establishing shots and the rest of the scene, as well as fluidity of the action scenes. Likewise, Wan’s horror roots come through here and there, in the way he introduces the villains and explosions with jump scares, and a specific, genuinely creepy set piece on the open ocean in the darkness.

As superhero films tend to, there are several gigantic set piece battles, with lots of CGI creatures and monsters, and Wan manages to keep the action legible, dynamic and intense, without it being confusing. Some parts had issues with the compositing being slightly off which made it apparent we are looking at a green screen, but overall the direction and visual design of the film was its strongest part. I can spend hours just talking about all the tricks and clever camerawork Wan and DP Don Burgess use, but I realize you no one wants to read that; suffice it to say, I think this was visually DC’s boldest and best executed DC film to date, and I was very pleased with Wan’s work.

Story and Screenplay:

Strangely enough, this is where the film both excelled and failed for me. Let me explain.

I really enjoyed Arthur’s arc throughout the film, as well as the overall plot of him and Mera trying to prevent a war between Atlantis and the surface world, The film surprisingly manages to fit a lot of history and major storylines from Aquaman’s comic runs, and it manages to pull this off without making it’s story jumbled or the pacing uneven.

However, how the film actually delivers this story is where the problems start. There is a real issue with the dialogue in this film; character tell the audience exactly what they are thinking and feeling, they will often stop the scene to exposit on their emotions and motivations, which is in addition to the already dense scenes of characters delivering the history of Atlantis to each other (even though rightfully there would be no need for Orm, Vulko or Nereus to explain to each other who these historical/mythical people are or why they act the ways they do since you know, they are all Atlantean). Vulko is the guiltiest party here, because his entire character is just there to deliver exposition.

Case in point, the dynamic between Orm and Arthur. Arthur has spent his entire life hating Atlantis and blaming himself for his mother’s death, and feeling like he doesn’t belong on land or in the sea. On the other hand, Orm has spent his entire life also blaming Arthur for their mother’s death while also living in constant paranoia that should Arthur ever come to Atlantis, as firstborn he would take the throne (also clearly has some issues with who Atlanna loved more,  but that’s neither here nor there). That’s some rich characterization and emotion. You know how the film delivers it? By literary having Orm and Arthur say all of this, in more or less these exact words, to each other instead of showing us any of it. 

The dialogue varies between bad and extremely bad, and it’s such a shame because the story and the characters are there. I hate to compare the two, but Black Panther also had a scene where to estranged cousins vying for the throne, one of whom resents the other interact, and it did much better with showing us all the complex emotions these people were going through rather than bluntly telling us exactly what they think.  

Characters (and their actors):

The issues with the screenplay and dialogue unfortunately feed into the characters. While some of the actors do fine with the stiff dialogue, some… not so much.

Let’s start with the supporting cast. I loved Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna. Her role was small, but she does so much with the limited screen time, and gives Atlanna a full range of emotions and character arc. I also appreciated that the film does a reverse ‘women in refrigerators’ with her.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was excellent as Black Manta. His backstory was intense and perfectly understandable, and I really enjoyed that the film makes it pretty clear that the existence of Black Manta is solely Aquaman’s fault. The two don’t get too much time to interact, but Mateen steals every scene he’s in, and I’m interested to see what they do with him next.

As I mentioned Vulko was the designated exposition character. Willem Dafoe dioes fine with the role he’s given, though I have to wonder why he didn’t try harder to dissuade Orm from his conquest, since clearly the two are close. It almost makes me wonder if Vulko blamed Orm for what happened to Atlanna which doesn’t make much sense since he was a teenager at most. 

I was genuinely surprised to see Dolph Lundgren in this and though King Nereus didn’t play a hugely important part in this film, just like with Black Mantha he seems like he’d be a more important player in a future film. I’m just always happy to see him be in films honestly.

From our leading trio, Amber Heard was the biggest surprise. She’s pretty good in the role as Mera, and she’s helped by a really solid characterization. Mera was well written, competent and powerful, she was on equal footing with Arthur the whole film. Not once is she treated like a damsel and at no point does Arthur have to save her, or she needs  to teach him how to be a King or fight or anything similar; she is just that committed to doing the right thing, even if it means sacrificing everything she’d ever known (though I would have preferred the film show us this rather than just having her state it).

 The biggest issue with Mera was the romance. Bless Heard, she’s really trying, but she and Momoa just have no chemistry.  She has more chemistry in her one scene with Patrick Wilson, where she’s supposed to hate him, than in all the scenes she has with Momoa combined. There is also no real transition from “I hate this man but I must help him for the good of my people” to “I will sacrifice everything for him”; she just kind of thinks he’s a loser one moment and then loves him the next.

Patrick Wilson for me was the best part of this film. He is such a good actor that he makes this character so much more sympathetic and interesting than I think the filmmakers ever intended him on being. Orm is a rather blindsided hateful person, but Wilson manages to give him pathos and a sense of paranoia that builds with the amount of people that turn on him. He has a lot of issues to work through and were it not for Wilson’s acting, I’m not sure how much that would show in the film. The scene where he’s reunited with Atlanna was the best scene in the film, and you can clearly tell who the two best actors are in this film, because Kidman and Wilson sell it. 

Jason Momoa was perfectly fine, but rarely rose above that. He has the physique and charm for the role, and when he’s playing Justice League Aquaman he is a joy to watch. Part of it is an issue with the writing, because the film can’t really decide if we are following a seasoned, experienced, jaded Aquaman who is willing to let people die just because they annoyed him, or someone who is still learning how to deal with the responsibilities of his powers. This version of Arthur is lost, afraid and insecure, who is forced into acting against his better nature, and Momoa just can’t pull that off. He’s too cool, too confident for the role; he’s a Han Solo, not a Luke Skywalker, and this film needs him to be the latter.

Overall, Aquaman was an entertaining, visually stunning and faithful adaptation to the comics. I had a ton of fun watching it and I highly recommend it, in spite of some dialogue and script issues. It really is what a superhero film should be; fun, action packed and very genuine.